#it's such an underrated scene and the score is beautiful as well...finally a moment of clarity between them this season

[borgialamb]

supernatural 5.05 'fallen idols' — written by julie siege

[i-drop-level-one-loot]

You watch slasher movies? I haven't done so in years (much to my disappointment), got any recommendations, classics, popular, underrated, anything really?

I knew I hadn't watched them in a long time, but it wasn't till I had to try and write something based on classic slashers, that I realized how long its been since I consumed that kind of content.

My only plan so far is that I need to watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Alright, Pandora, it depends on your tastes, and what you look for in a "slasher" ❤️

As you may remember, I fucking love the OG the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and when I got pretty bad last month emotionally I watched it on repeat for two weeks straight. However, if you go in for a regular slasher film you will be disappointed. The first movie is incredible, focusing on amazing shots and atmosphere for nearly the entire first half. It's less of a slasher as we would come to know the genre, and more of an artistic film centered around the horrors of humanity. The series is a wonderful mess of multiple timelines and little continuity, but the sequels better fit the slasher archetype. The best sequel (imo) is the one directly after the first, and it's a black comedy slasher, focusing more on the kills.

Now, slashers ❤️

If you're a nerd and want to experience the slasher history, then before Halloween (which still holds up) there was Black Christmas, and before that the Town that Dreaded Sundown.

The Town that Dreaded Sundown is based off a true serial killer, and unlike TCM which is loosely inspired by Ed Gein, a lot of the kills (except the trombone scene) are based on actual murders, with his mask accurate to the only real world survivor's testimony of her assault. It's very slow pace, and with how desensitized we are as a society you might find it boring, but if you ever get a phonecall from Ghostface, then you have to know the Town that Dreaded Sundown. Fun fact, his mask also inspired Jason's mask from Friday the 13th part 2!

Black Christmas is awesome! I'd recommend it more than Sundown, because of pacing, characters, acting, and overall atmosphere. I love my second wave feminism horror (Stepford Wives (mwah)), and it did a lot better with it's feminist themes than the loose remake from 2019 that tried to be intentionally feminist (ignore the 2006 remake entirely, so bad, so lame, so gross). It did the first person perspective of the killer nearly four years before Halloween's iconic opening. It introduced the idea of the final girl, but she wouldn't become a sexually repressed younger woman until Halloween solidified the trope. It has some great kills that still hold up, and Billy is iconic. I really feel the only reason why he isn't more well known in non-horror spaces is because he doesn't have a mask or outfit that can be replicated and sold in Spirit.

After that we have our most well known slashers, and they're popular for good reason ❤️

A Nightmare on Elm St, Friday the 13th, and Halloween spawned sequels that spiraled off into varying degrees of madness, but still have fun moments.

After the success of Friday the 13th (and the realization of the franchise-ability of slashers) there were a lot of slashers that tried to capture the money magic of the first few success stories. Not all of them were great, but a few notable slashers imo are My Bloody Valentine and the Dentist.

Although Candyman is often lumped in with slashers, like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the first movie is more than a traditional slasher. I recommend the first one as a beautiful love story about the horrors of American racism. It's score is still incredible, the behind the scenes are so interesting, and Tony Todd is absolutely beautiful. Such an amazing actor. (Not so) Fun fact: Tony Todd said in the behind the scenes that there originally was a romantic scene where Helen proclaimed her love for Candyman, but they were forced to cut it, because "they were okay with a tall, black man covered in bees.. but, mm, when it came to a kiss, or something like that, it was a little bit too risque..." ( :/ )

(Please please please watch Candyman)

Then the best, or worst (depending on your views), thing happened to the genre; Scream.

One of the best slashers there is, it isn't the first self referential, meta horror (see Wes Craven's New Nightmare), but it did change the slasher genre for a very long time. It was a revival for the genre, since it was declining in popularity by the early 90s. However, post Scream horror was very meta. See Chucky's personality changing from the occasional funny quip, to Bride of Chucky levels of silly (still love him tho). Of the terrible horror trying to copy Scream, I'd recommend Urban Legend over I Know What You Did Last Summer. It was a shame, just how silly a lot of scary movies got back then, trying to be as smart and self aware as Scream was.

But my favorite (outside of Scream) meta horror slasher film is Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon ❤️ took meta to a whole new level, mockumentary style, a camera crew follows a wannabe slasher killer explaining how to be a slasher icon.

I've watched too many slashers to remember all of them right now, but if you want really meta black comedies, Tucker and Dale vs Evil isn't a slasher but a loving joke on the genre, and the Final Girls made me laugh and cry like a little bitch.

A lot of slashers since the late 90s have drifted closer to the black comedy sub genre. Killers that kill for the sake of killing are often B-rated blood fests, that can be great for mindless fun but not so great for box office gains, especially in our current horror renaissance. Slashers don't fit in to the current horror culture. Serial killers aren't scary for desensitized audiences, and the mindless gore expectations set by older slasher films have created a pretty specific genre setup and pay off (dumb people who only exist to die get brutally murdered). It either has to be B-rated mindless fun (Laid to Rest 1 and 2 had terrible camera work and directing, making even incredible actors like Lena Headey feel lackluster, but the practical effects are so impressive I'd recommend it just for the blood and guts (and bewbs)), or comedic (the Hatchet series has great cameos, genuine laughs, and more impressive practical effects, but with good cinematography and directing (still bewbs)). Slashers that don't lean in to how ridiculous the concept of slashers are and try to take themselves seriously often end up falling short, either creating boring killers with no personality or trying to force a plot into a generic slasher shaped hole.

This does include most remakes of slasher movies, as a lot of slashers were remade in the early 2000's with less interesting characters to be killed off by the slashers. The remake of Candyman was an exception, because even though it wasn't as good as the original, it did go back to it's non slasher roots, learning from the mistake that was the third Candyman.

TLDR:

Non slashers that are considered slashers because of the slasher sequels/iconic murderers:

the Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Candyman

Child's Play

Best Precursor to the genre:

Black Christmas

Popular Classics:

Halloween

Friday the 13th

a Nightmare on Elm St

Pre 90's Slashers that I recommend:

The Dentist

Sleepaway Camp (it's divided on whether it's problematic or interesting representation)

Alice, Sweet Alice

My Bloody Valentine

Post 90's meta commentary/black comedy:

Scream

Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon

Hatchet

The Final Girls

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

There are obviously a lot more, but these are a few off the top of my head ❤️

[lowcountry-gothic]

This has been on my mind for a while, so I’m going to get deep into it.

People often talk about Howard Shore’s musical scores for The Lord of the Rings as being among the most underrated scores out there, and for good reason. But the scores I personally think are the most underrated are Michael Giacchino’s for Lost. I could go on and on about how great they are just as beautiful music to listen to, how much raw emotion is packed into it, how interesting the individual character themes are, and how innovative the instrumentation is and how much it fits the Island as a setting and a character in and of itself not to mention how active a role the music plays in the storytelling.

The way Giacchino often chose to use found or deconstructed objects as musical instruments—such as the guts of a piano, or pieces of the actual Boeing 777 that was used for the crash site scenes—especially in season 1, to mirror how the characters had to use the wreckage of the plane and the resources they found in the jungle in order to survive. And the way he used unusual instruments like the flapamba or a metallic angklung for music associated with the Others to make them feel so strange and bizarre in seasons 1-2, before we quite get to know them as actual people.

Or the sheer understatedness of the show’s main theme, and how beautifully it expresses both the trauma of surviving a plane crash and the hope of being rescued.

And how “Hollywood & Vines” is one of the most exciting and heroic pieces of music since the Fellowship theme in the Lord of the Rings films.

Then there’s “Life and Death,” some of the most iconic and memorable of Lost’s score music—again, its sheer simplicity, and yet its utility in both sad scenes that are full of loss and grief, like the death of Boone, as well as hopeful ones, like the birth of Aaron, and how this suggests that life and death are not polar, binary opposites, but rather two sides of the same coin, part of a mystical cycle.

Then there are the actual character themes, the most beautiful of which in my opinion is John Locke’s theme. He actually has a couple of themes, the first of which, “Crocodile Locke,” serves to build him up as such a mysterious figure, and in some ways serves as a stand-in theme for the Island itself, as it hints both for it and for Locke that things are not exactly what, or more than, they seem to be. And then there’s the beautiful and heartbreaking “Locke’d Out Again,” and the way Giacchino uses the exact same music for some of the lowest, saddest, and most hopeless and disappointing moments of a man’s life, when everything he had hoped for is being denied him and his value and worth are being rejected—as well as for what is arguably the most joyful and transcendent moment in his life, when his worth and value are, beyond all expectation, miraculously upheld and transformed in a way no one saw coming. And how the sadness of this musical theme doesn’t undermine that ecstasy but actually buoys it up even further.

The way Kate’s theme is so wandering and elusive, suggesting her inability to remain in one place for very long and her status as a fugitive, and yet its repeating structure suggests that these evasions have become part of a habitual, unavoidable cycle for her, a lifestyle of avoiding any lasting connection—until the Island.

Then there’s the fact that Jack, the show’s main male protagonist, doesn’t even get a theme of his own until season 3 when his character arc really starts to bend toward its final resolution (before this point, his major scenes are usually scored with the show’s main theme), and how this new theme speaks of his regret and his growing realization that so many things are beyond his compulsive need to fix everything.

And then the dark simplicity of Sawyer’s theme, the way its mere four notes are first played on the low ends of the harp, conveying so much emptiness, the very emptiness of hatred and revenge that has consumed his life until coming to the Island. And the way the theme begins to soften as Sawyer himself begins to grow as a character, finally melting into a more complex and more fully human version as it merges into a new theme, “La Fleur,” in season 5 when Sawyer most fully comes into his own, reflecting his new relaxedness, a measure of healing, and even relationality.

And don’t get me started on Ben’s theme, how it begins as a generic theme for the Others, stark and menacing and a bit surreal, then becomes more sympathetic as we learn more about Ben and his past, culminating in his heroic moment of sacrifice as he turns the frozen wheel in season 4. 

Or how Jacob’s theme, “The Tangled Web,” basically tells us everything we need to know about him before we even realize that it’s actually Jacob himself that we’re seeing onscreen: its feeling of ancientness, the air of destiny and chosenness, of getting caught up in something like fate or the rules of an old game that began long before our main characters arrived on the Island. How although Jacob represents light and goodness in the story, there is still a sinister note in this music, something indicating he is not completely good, that there is some shadow in his past. A dark spot amidst the white, like in the yin-yang symbol. And how this speaks to the show’s theme of light and dark, how there is always some dark in the light, always some light in the midst of the dark.

I could go on and on with the character themes...and I already have, so I’ll just close by touching on the show’s final musical moments, the track “Moving On” on the season 6 soundtrack. It’s such a quietly beautiful track, blending several of the themes I’ve mentioned here as well as others, including the departure theme and the home theme, both of which are standout pieces featured most prominently in other season finales.

And Giacchino wrote all of it. All the music for 121 straight episodes. He didn’t farm it out to other composers, he didn’t take a break every few episodes. He wrote every character theme, motif, and trombone fall-off.

The man deserves a fucking award, just for his work on Lost alone.

[elionwriter]

SONIC ORIGINS: REDEFINING THE CANON

The new cutscenes from the game and the Anniversary mode that ties all 4 main titles together were the things I really enjoyed the most out of Origins (beyond the fact that you can re-try the special stage levels!!! Can I get a wahoo?). Of course this brought about a little bit of retconing but it wasn't really anything major and it was just a really nice way to redefine the classic age as it has been envisioned in the modern era.

WHY IS SONIC CD SO PROMINENT?

One of the things I was shocked to read so much around was people feeling confused as to why Sonic CD was elevated to major mainline game on par with 1-2-3. And the only answer I have for that is: BECAUSE IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN?!?!

The fact that CD has been up till recent years criminally ignored and underrated doesn't mean it wasn't always meant to be a main title of the bit era. It certainly has all the trappings of one! From the first ever animated cutscenes to the first complex story, the incredible level design and original score and most importantly the introduction of two main characters, Sonic CD is just as iconic as the other games. To those saying Metal Sonic and Amy had too much screen time in the cutscenes when they are hardly relevant characters in the classic era, HOW?!?!?!

Amy is literally one of the most recurring characters ever, yes, even in the old games, even though she is not a playable character in CD ( she should have had a mode made for her in the collection though😤😠) and has a small role in Drift, Drift 2, Fighters and R. Metal Sonic was literally Sonic's first big 'not Eggman' rival. The race between them in Stardust Speedway is one of the most iconic moments in the saga's history! I am honestly so grateful for Origins finally giving this game its due.

A TEAM OF FOUR

The idea that the classic adventures go beyond the main games and the characters have many more untold stories is something that the comics (both Archie and IDW) and the Mania Adventures shorts have been really pushing forward in recent years. So it really just makes sense to me that Origins sanctified and canonised it.

(If you haven't yet, do yourself a pleasure and pick up Archie's 2 Sonic Mega Drive issues, IDW'S 'Seasons of Chaos' and the second 'Free comic book Day' issue. One of my greatest regrets is that Archie never managed to publish the final number of the mini-series)

The idea that the final cut scene is basically a set up for those future, untold adventures feels really good! Not only does it open up the opportunity to new, classic inspired games like Mania or a series (be it comic books or animation) in which old characters can re-live and be re-used like the hooligans and Mighty and Ray, but it also creates an interesting and in some ways new overarching plot for these games:

IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE CARDS

It's always been a well known fact that Amy foretold her meeting with Sonic and has been in love with him ever since. But the final cut scene from CD adds a new, beautiful twist to the story.

As Amy sets her cards again, she draws out a card which quite clearly represents friendship, a double tail and finally a chaos emerald or the master emerald.

If one wants to interpret it in the most basic way, it just sets the scene for Sonic 2. But going in a bit deeper and interpreting the last card as a symbol for Knuckles as the second card is clearly one for Tails, then that means that Amy foretells everything that will happen in the next games and that Sonic is set to meet both his future friends. Amy smiles as she sees Sonic fly away in his plane and this time doesn't try to follow. Why? Because she knows that he has things to do and people to meet and that they will all eventually come together as a team, as seen exactly in Origin's finale.

I just find it very sweet that in this perspective not just Amy and Sonic but Tails and Knuckles too are all bonded together by fate. In the long history of Sonic's adventures this interpretation sets 1-2-3 and CD as, well, just that, an origin of how fate brought these four characters together against Eggman.

If Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Eggman are indeed all bonded together by destiny then that is a very good 'in universe' explanation of why all of them have pretty much the same thing going on in most adaptations (Well, all the modern ones anyway). It was just meant to be!

I wonder if Sonic Prime, which is meant to deal with a multiverse of sorts, is going to have a similar reading of their bond or is gonna take things in a different direction.

In any event, till proven dead wrong, this is my new headcanon for these characters! What is yours? Do you agree with this interpretation or think it's too much of a stretch? Let me know and let's discuss it!

[queen-of-my-goofball-army]

An Ode To Miyazaki:

Hi everyone! So for my final paper for film, we had to pick our own director of our choosing and talk about them extensively between the attributes that make them special. Our course focused on the narrative and technical styles of directors. For my final project, I have chosen my biggest hero in the world of animation and somebody that drastically changed my life as a young child, Hayao Miyazaki. Learning about him for this project gave me so much insight into not just his films but who he is as a person. I hope that my paper is as interesting for you to read as it was for me to do research for!

1. Hayao Miyazaki, often referred to as the Japanese Walt Disney is the front runner of his animation studio Studio Ghibli. I picked him because I already have sufficient knowledge and love of his films. One of the first memories that my parents love to remind me of is my first time watching Totoro and laughing at the introduction characters. Miyazaki himself stands out for a number of reasons. Over the years, Miyazaki has made a humongous name out of himself, one of his most famous movies Spirited Away became the most popular film to ever be released in Japan and also won the academy award for the best-animated film that year. His most “popular” films (I say popular in air quotes because it is nearly impossible for people to agree on a favorite) remain the aforementioned Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke. Beginning his career as a simple animator for Toei animation, he worked as an in-between artist. It was here that he met his future collaborator at Ghibli, Isao Takahata. His first big directorial debut in film before founding Ghibli was a team effort without Takahata was Lupin The Third, The Castle Of Cagliostro. His first successful movie was one that was based upon his own manga Nausicaa of the Valley Of The Wind. The first official Miyazaki movie that was made with Ghibli was one of my personal all-time favorites that had ever been created, Castle In The Sky. For many children, especially ones with parents who are lovers of a film like mine, Miyazaki was one of the first animators that I was introduced to. His films have become classics for every fan of animation, being referenced in culture, specifically back when Disney owned Studio in Toy Story 3, Bonnie has a Totoro.

2. So, this brings up the question, how does one recognize a film by Miyazaki? You can always expect for him to be critically acclaimed, for there to be some element of magic and whimsy in the way that he animates, for there to be something to do with flight (whether it be dealing with airplanes like in Porco Rosso, the idea of flight in Howl’s Moving Castle, or a floating castle up in the sky in Castle In The Sky.), his heroines are always strong-minded and live by their own rules never bowing down to anybody, his love stories are dynamic and fulfilled, a sweeping score by Joe Hizashi, and they have a meaning about nature somewhere, mostly about why it needs to be protected.

Let’s start by breaking him down narratively. The thing that is always in every Miyazaki film no matter which one you decide upon watching, is that his female characters are always strong-willed no matter what. In many ways, I think that he writes women better than Disney does. He has gone on record saying “Many of my movies have strong female leads—brave, self-sufficient girls that don't think twice about fighting for what they believe with all their heart. They'll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.” Sometimes, this will cause them to come across as reckless, or stupid, but in my opinion, I have always looked up to his female characters and the way that they are portrayed. My personal favorite female character that he has ever brought to life through the screen is Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle. She is strong-minded, not willing to put up with any of Howl’s dramatics, kind, an incredible adult figure for Markal, endlessly sympathetic to her friend’s plights (namely Howl and Calcifer), and somebody that I can always look up to. I spent most of my childhood looking up to characters like Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service, Chihiro in Spirited Away, or one of my personal favorite underrated girls, Fio in Porco Rosso. All of these female characters are independent and never let themselves be taken advantage of by anybody.

Another trait that can always be found narratively in his films is that Miyazaki is an airplane/ air travel fanatic. He absolutely loves airplanes, even to the point where his latest film, The Wind Rises was based upon the life of one of the first airplane manufacturers in WWII. Almost all of his films will involve something about flying in the air. Even with the ones that he didn’t direct and he just simply wrote. His obsession with flight is something that stemmed from his childhood and he never saw them as a thing to be used for war “airplanes are not tools for war. They are not for making money. Airplanes are beautiful dreams. Engineers turn dreams into reality.” My personal favorite of all of his flight animation is used in Howl’s Moving Castle when Howl and Sophie “fly” over the heads of all the people below them.

Narratively also one of the biggest things that set apart his films from any others is his focus on nature. The idea of protecting the beauty of nature is something that he has always stood by. A lot of the time, America tries to prove that it can make films about nature as well to usually varying results. I think that nobody can sell an environmental message quite like my biggest hero for Japanese animation. One of the main movies that focus on his will to protect nature above all else is Princess Mononoke. He always manages to animate nature in such a beautiful and majestic way no matter where the film is set.

I also think that a narrative trait of his that often gets overlooked is how beautiful the romance in his films can be. He never has a romance between two characters that feels stale or boring. I love the fact that you can pick any number of his films and the chance of there being a romance that you’ll get sucked into is a very large one. Everybody has their personal favorites, I love Howl and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle but my best friend loves Sousuke and Ponyo from Ponyo. He has on record saying that “I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live - if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” Writing romance between two characters can be a very tricky thing which is why it’s always amazing when he can continually pull it off despite everything and how many films that he has made over the years. The beauty of having both a strong and independent male and the female character is that they can both lean on one another for love and support. Probably the biggest supporter of this is Whisper Of The Heart, a film that he wrote instead of directing. The romance is what makes up the entire film. It’s a beautiful love story about how two young teenagers fall in love with each other. The romance is something that continually keeps me coming back for more every time.

Technical style Miyazaki can always be assured to deliver breathtakingly stunning animation. There is a reason why so many people leave his films starving because the food that he draws always looks so good. For me though, it’s the backgrounds that stand out above all else. It’s nearly impossible to have one favorite shot in one of his films but I as a matter of fact do have one. The most breathtaking animation in any Miyazaki film is the scene where Howl takes Sophie to see his secret garden. Everything about this scene never fails to make my breath catch. It’s such a profoundly beautiful moment and how it is animated is something that I haven’t forgotten since my first initial viewing of the film when I was seven.

Another iconic technical trait is that Disney did a fantastic job dubbing the films from their original Japanese language into English. Back when Ghibli films first started to become popular, they needed a way for an American audience to see them. So Pixar’s CFO at the time, John Lassater made a deal with Ghibli that they would dub all the films from their original language for a brand new audience. Growing up, this was how I watched all of Miyazaki’s films. I fell in love with the way that they sounded in English. To this very day, I have yet to see one of his films in any other language. I don’t think that anybody could have dubbed them better. Ever since Ghibli and Disney went their separate ways and they went to GKids the dubs haven’t been the same.

Finally, the last technical trait is that a Miyazaki film will always have a score done by his longtime collaborator Joe Hizashi. The score is such a big part of what makes Miyazaki’s films his own. They are what get you sucked in through their whimsical and magical tones; they always fit the vibes that he’s going through at that moment. There is also the element of sound. Every Miyazaki film has a distinct sound effect that will set it apart from the one before it.

3. The first film that I want to look at is my personal favorite of all his films that he has made so far if you were to force me to pick just one Howl’s Moving Castle. Released in 2004, it was the 9th film that the director came out with. It has an 8.2 out of 10 on IMDB and an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The storyline for the movie follows a young woman named Sophie. She gets a curse set upon her by the Witch of the Waste and when she leaves home she finds the infamous Howl’s Moving Castle. This is the second Ghibli movie voiced by a Batman live action actor. Christian Bale voiced Howl Pendragon after Michael Keaton played the titular Porco Rosso.

Narratively this is definitely a Miyazaki film. From how strong of a female character Sophie is I spent most of my childhood looking up to her as a character. Strong female characters are everywhere in his films and in my opinion, Sophie is one of the strongest. Another strong factor is that flight plays a major part in this film. One of Howl’s main powers is that he has the ability to fly around. This leads to my favorite scene of flight in any Miyazaki film when Howl takes Sophie’s hand and they “fly” over the tops of the city down below them. All of his early films up until the last few were set in someplace other than Japan. This one is set in Europe, and he takes a lot of time while in the cities to show off all the different types of buildings while Sophie tours around the city.

Technically speaking this is also a Miyazaki film and holds all the titular traits of being so. The animation is utterly for lack of a better word, magical and spellbinding. It takes my breath away every time that I rewatch it. The food looks incredible, one scene that most of Miyazaki’s fans always think of when this movie is brought up is Calcifer making the food for Howl, Sophie, and Markal to eat. The dub for this film is also one of Disney’s best dubs for Miyazaki films. It even brings actors to the table that I usually would not like to see in other films like Christian Bale. I haven’t loved him in any other films than this one. Billy Crystal is a stand-out as well as my favorite fire demon Calcifer. The score is done by Joe Hizashi as well. My favorite part of the score is the main theme which has Howl and Sophie floating above the people below. The sound effect that follows throughout this film is the steady creaking of the castle itself.

Princess Mononoke was the first time that Miyazaki ever “retired”. Most of the time, whenever he tries to retire, he always comes back. A lot of his colleague's joke that it’s because he physically can’t stop working. He animated most of this movie by himself. Before Spirited Away it was Japan’s most famous film to date. The story about a young man who is just trying to erase the curse that was set upon him by an angry boar and it leads him to a place called Iron Town is something that never fails to amaze me. While in Iron Town, Ashitaka meets a young woman named San who was taken in by wolves and he finds himself caught between a war involving humans and the gods of the forest.

Narratively this is definitely a Miyazaki film. It has a strong female lead, focusing most of its screen time on how important it is to protect and preserve nature as a whole. The idea of protecting nature is such a moving part of the film, as we see what it does when man takes over the forest. We see how distraught it makes the Gods of this world and how they wish that the humans would just go away. However, you also see it from the point of view of the villain of the film Lady Eboshi, who also regularly helps lepers and people who would often never get work outside of her offering them a home and a family. I have regularly gotten into a debate with my mom over which side is “right” and which side “wrong” over the course of the last few years of me being a massive fan of this movie. She takes the side of the forest while I see Ashitaka’s side that everybody should just get along and interact in peace and harmony. Miyazaki never shoves the idea of nature down your throat. That is not what this film is. It’s instead about the beauty of what we have and learning to appreciate it.

On a technical level, this film is fantastic as well. It blows my mind that Miyazaki-san animated most of it all by himself. The backgrounds are sweeping and utterly gorgeous showing off the time period of the film. The fight sequences which make up the bulk of the film’s running time are engaging, thrilling, and fabulously animated. Mononoke’s score was done by Joe Hizashi as well. Its score is beautiful and I always find myself getting sucked into it, especially for the more dynamic scenes with Ashitaka and San. The sound effect for this film uses nature as a backdrop for brutality. Ashitaka’s arrows don’t just come out of his bow, they screech through the air.

Finally, my last film that we will be focusing on, Kiki’s Delivery Service was made in 1989 a year after his cult phenomena My Neighbor Totoro and was his fifth animated feature. Kiki is a young girl that is hoping to become a young witch in training. However, to do so she has to train a year away from home. She and her cat Jiji find a town by the sea where she learns her true strength and what she can really do to help others. Hayao Miyazaki didn't want to bore the audience during the film's end credits by using just the names. He set it up to be like a mini-sequel so that the audience would leave the theatre feeling happy.

Narratively this has all the traits that one should be familiar with and associate with a Miyazaki film. It has a strong-minded female character at the source of it that young girls can look up to and admire. As a kid, Kiki was my favorite female character of his because I loved her strength and her dedication to what she was good at. She knew that she was still young and had a lot to learn but even though she gets depressed she doesn’t let that stop her in the long run and will still save her love interest Tombo. The romance in this film is by far one of the sweetest. I love the interactions between the characters and the way that they both inspire one another to be better than they are. The idea of flight is basically the focal point of everything. Kiki finds that her best trait is that she flies incredibly well and decides to create her own flying delivery service.

Technically this also has a lot of traits that Miyazaki made a name for himself in doing. The animation is spectacular, especially for Kiki’s flying. I could watch her fly around all day and that was the idea that he was going for while making the film. The sweeping score by Joe Hizashi, especially in my favorite song A Town With An Ocean View, is something that I’ll often listen to outside of the film itself. The sound effects for the film are meant to be calming. From the first sound that you hear of the wind rolling through the reeds while Kiki lies against the grass to the waves when she finally finds a home.

4. Miyazaki as a director has inspired me since I was way too young to even remember. When I was a kid I would pretend to run around my apartment building's front yard imagining that I lived in a big house in front of a camper tree like the one in Totoro. His movies are perfect for children that “suffer” from having an overactive imagination. His movies are everything that is bright and beautiful in the world. The animation never fails to take my breath away, the characters and stories are unforgettable, the soundtracks sweep me away and tell stories themselves. His movies are something that even my parents, who are not anime fans, can watch over and over again. I think that speaks for itself. Miyazaki makes films that are art, not just animated films.

[xianglingslesbian]

ewbts - my top moments

no i will never stop laughing at that abbreviation it’s beautiful. buckle in because this is gonna be long, and probably don’t read it unless you’ve watched/read kuroko’s basketball and like izuki lmaoooo

chapter 1: hatchling, awaken

Izuki swallows. “Why do you all think I can do this?”

Then Kiyoshi turns to him with steel in his eyes (that must be how he got nicknamed Iron Heart - he seriously never backs down!) and asks him very clearly, “Why don’t you?”

Why don’t I think I can be captain?

“Because nobody thought I could be until now.”

aka “ceru is a masochist”, exhibit 1/???. anyway lets hear it for insecurities!!

chapter 2: liftoff

Predictably, Kuroko drags him aside at practice the next day and says, “I have something to tell you, Izuki-senpai.”

Izuki smiles at him. “Is it about your five evil exes?”

Kuroko looks horrified. “My what?!”

i think im funny

chapter 3: crash landing

As Izuki walks off the court, he looks for flashing glasses and grey eyes.

He curses himself for the heavy sadness that falls over him like a blanket when he doesn’t spot them.

yay for “ceru is a masochist” exhibit 2!

Oh, he [Izuki] watched videos of Aomine, came up with strategy after strategy to corner him, but videos and strategies can only go so far. Aomine in real life is something else entirely, a flash of lightning setting the court on fire with the sheer elegance of his crazy street basketball. All one can do is sit back and watch, awed beyond belief. Nothing can curb the wild madness that is Aomine Daiki – unrestrained, gleeful insanity dancing across the court like it’s his playground.

i also rlly like this line, it has some pretty imagery and we all know im a slut for pretty imagery~

chapter 4: a broken bone grows back stronger

“All right,” Koganei says to himself, moving to stand in front of the hoop. “One more time.”

He jumps, raising the ball to just above his face and releasing it. It misses, and he lets out a cry of frustration.

Can he even do this? Is it worth the time?

Koganei bites back the wave of guilt that washes over him at the thought. Izuki, Kiyoshi, Tsuchida, Rinnosuke, Kagami, Kuroko – he’d be letting them down if he didn’t give this his best shot. They’re all so dedicated to basketball that they each have a special skill honed from years of practice and love for the sport. If he can’t bring anything of his own to the table, what will he mean to this team? Seirin makes him want to be a team player, to add his skills to theirs rather than shining on his own. The change is good, yes, but he doesn’t want to stop there – he doesn’t want to be useless.

He will not be useless.

a bit of context: in this fic, since hyuuga did not return, koga became the SG for seirin :D i think my favorite character to develop, apart from izuki, was koganei - it was so fun to imagine all the ways he could have gone!

chapter 5: spreading new wings

All too soon, the day of judgment arrives, and Seirin convenes in the gym one last time before they head off to the Winter Cup building. No one says anything; not Kagami, fresh from his training trip to America, not Izuki, not Kiyoshi or Riko. They simply stand there, breathing in the scent of cleaner and leather and something else that’s so entirely Seirin, and knowing that no matter what happens this Winter Cup, they will return to the gym different people than they were before.

Different, and better.

Then they head out and off to the opening ceremony of the Winter Cup, not looking back once as they do.

yay for more pretty words!!!

“Oh, no worries. The actual motivational part is coming. Anyway, as I was saying – Tōō was just better than us that day. It’s hard to admit, I know: far easier to blame yourself, say you didn’t give it your all, but you know; we all know. It was their day to shine, not ours. But I think we’ve worked hard enough and are in a good enough mindset to change that, today. We aren’t scared or apprehensive about Tōō and Aomine, because we’ve faced them before. We know what attitude they’ll walk into our game with, and that’s what we’re going to exploit!”

“You’re going to exploit,” corrects Tsuchida. “Unlike you, the rest of us aren’t manipulative bastards.”

That raises a bunch of cackles, which quiet down when Izuki gives his team a glare. It doesn’t work on Riko, however, who sniggers under her breath and smirks at him.

izuki highkey sucks at pep talks lmao

chapter 6: ride the storm

Kagami and Aomine were made for each other. Made for this rivalry, this intense competition that will push them to their very limits and carry them onto a plane that no ordinary human can reach. Neither can defeat the other per se - they’re destined to stand neck and neck forever. However, one has a trump card on his side; and that trump card can make all the difference in the world.

Aomine Daiki may be strong, but Kagami Taiga is just as good. And damn him if the power of Kagami’s determination coupled with Kuroko’s unshakeable support won’t overwhelm the undisputed king of basketball.

Move aside, light bulb, Izuki thinks vindictively. The tube light is here to replace you.

pretty words. gay words. i love them (aokaga + izuki being a salt man lmao).

chapter 7: eagle versus aegis

“So bitter,” he [Izuki] reflects aloud, answering Himuro’s question.

That’s the emotion in his eyes. That’s what I might have become, if I had let my anger grow.

And suddenly he isn’t seeing Himuro Tatsuya anymore, but a version of himself, a version with darkened eyes and a mocking smile and pain and rage bubbling below the surface. Immensely talented, but not able to break the last barrier. Because he’s an ordinary man, and it’s as much as an ordinary man can do.

Strong, so strong. But also so terribly, heartbreakingly weak. Weak in a way that today’s Izuki Shun will never be.

GOD where do i even start w/this scene its literally everything i’ve ever wanted to write ksjfhsfj

chapter 8: clawing through mirages

Izuki’s taken aback for a millisecond before he continues his mad dash towards Murasakibara, letting out a war cry as the center makes to simply toss the ball into the hoop.

“It wasn’t their intention,” says a quiet but familiar voice. “But, this is the result of Kiyoshi-senpai and the other upperclassmen’s tenacity.”

Izuki grins, feeling new strength fill him up.

Together, huh? Okay. Together.

“This is where it ends for you!” shouts the voice, becoming stronger.

Not one, but two hands knock the ball out of Murasakibara’s hands and onto the ground. Kuroko shimmers into vision, smiling at Izuki with all the happiness in the world, just as the final buzzer rings.

i loved writing this match tbh, yousen is super underrated!

chapter 9: catch the updraft

21 - 22, in their favour at long last. Izuki grins at Kasamatsu, who shakes his head wearily.

“Using my own advice against me. What a terrible student you are,” he says, affecting an old man’s voice.

“The true student is the one who beats the master at his own game,” Izuki says quickly, sliding back into their familiar banter. “I swore to myself, my drive would beat your drive today, kitakore.”

“When did you get so wise?” asks Kasamatsu with a sigh, ignoring his pun and receiving the ball from Kobori, who was quick to grab it once Koga scored. Izuki just laughs, not bothering to reply and instead focusing carefully on Kasamatsu’s movements.

Kasamatsu shifts his weight right, left, then right again. Izuki narrows his eyes, trying to figure out what the hell his upperclassman is doing—

But it’s far too late, as Kasamatsu successfully passes through his defence in his moment of distraction, ball clutched tightly in hand. The sound of the scoring whistle is shrill and unpleasant to Izuki’s ears, and his chest stings at the loss.

“What was that about the main course?” Kasamatsu teases, wearing an enormous grin as he comes forward to guard Izuki once more. 

izuki + kasamatsu banter is so so fun to write y’all have no idea

chapter 10: headwinds

This is your fault. If you’d been a better captain, a better point guard, a better everything, none of this would’ve happened. Seirin would have been well in the lead and controlling the game—

Izuki shakes his head violently, trying to get rid of his intrusive thoughts. He knows he’s a good captain, and doing this to himself will do no good for the rest of the team. He has to be strong for them. He has to lead them to victory, he can’t be a weak person overwhelmed by emotion. But it’s so hard to breathe, suddenly, and Izuki’s about to sink when—

“Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll take care of this match today,” says a confident and familiar voice, and a hand claps down on Izuki’s shoulder. He turns, a little surprised by the sudden contact, to find Koganei’s cat mouth set in a determined frown. “You can rest your hopes on me. I’ll be Seirin’s wings for as long as you need me to.”

kogazuki brotp feels man. kogazuki brotp feels.

chapter 11: cliff edge

Riko nods, sobering up a little. “I do know. And… I have to admit, I was a little harsh on you in the early days… I kept comparing you to Hyūga-kun.” She looks at the ground briefly, then raises her head to continue, meeting Izuki’s eyes with no hint of doubt in her own brown irises. “But then I saw how different you were. How you were never willing to give up, even if you were the worst player in the world. That’s what… that’s what made me truly believe in you.” She swallows thickly, taking a deep breath, but not averting her gaze from his.

The honesty and trust in her eyes is what shatters Izuki’s calm.

He steps forward, and she rises too, opening her arms. Then he hugs her tightly, murmuring, “Thank you for having faith in me.”

The “Of course. You’re family,” that she whispers back fills Izuki’s already overflowing heart even further.

Eventually, he lets her go, and she drops lightly to the ground, straightening her sweater and skirt.

“We never speak of this,” Izuki warns her, moving towards the door of the room.

Riko nods, back to her usual haughty demeanour. “Of course. No one can know we’re actually big softies who care a lot for each other.”

“To them, we’re just sarcastic jerks,” Izuki agrees. “And that’s the way it stays.”

anyone said izuriko brotp???? this fic is just platonic feels tbh

chapter 12: overcast skies

What should I do? Someone tell me! the voice cries out in Izuki’s head, a voice he hasn’t heard since the loss to Tōō. It is the same voice that whispers all his insecurities in his ear in the dead of night when no one is around to reassure him, the same voice that gave rise to all his fears and worries. It is the voice of the vulnerable and weak part of Izuki, the one that needs someone to guide him with a gentle hand, and he hates it.

It is a voice that, frankly, he never thought he would hear again. Yet, here it is, crying out for attention, screaming for someone to help.

He thought he had left it behind. It turns out he was wrong.

Izuki shoves it deep into his heart with more effort than he’s exerted all game, breathing a heavy sigh when he succeeds in locking it behind the glass wall that keeps his emotions away.

let’s hear it for “ceru is a masochist” exhibit 3~

chapter 13: nosedive

“I don’t know who you are,” Koganei completes his little speech, anger brimming in every part of his being. “But I know that my captain is Izuki Shun, not Akashi Seijūrō. The coach can bench you if she likes; we can fight without our captain, because we know he wants us to win for his sake. We’ve been fighting without him all the match, and we can continue doing so. We don’t need a player that can’t play with the same passion as us!”

Izuki looks at the ground and doesn’t respond. Somewhere within, something is stirring at Koganei’s words. Something that cries out to fill the gap inside him.

Next to speak is Kiyoshi, standing up and executing much the same move as Koga had by yanking Izuki up by his collar. However, Kiyoshi pulls Izuki into a standing position so that Izuki is half-leaning against him.

Brown eyes meet black, and Kiyoshi simply states, “I didn’t expect this from you, Shun.”

Then he rears his fist backwards and punches Izuki in the jaw.

“ceru is a masochist” exhibit 4!

chapter 14: bird of prey

“I just… I didn’t think you’d give up so easily.”

Koganei’s head shoots up. There’s fury in his eyes, and his face is white. His hands are shaking.

Izuki continues, calm and careless as he always is, “Really… after you gave me all that talk at halftime? I don’t believe this is you.”

Koganei’s jaw clenches, and he cries, “But I have done everything I can! He’s just too good—”

“And when has that ever stopped you?” Izuki keeps his voice quiet and even, but it has the gravity he intended it to - Koga falls silent immediately, eyes wide and riveted on him. “When have you ever backed down from fighting? You don’t know the meaning of giving up. You’ve never cared about whether someone’s better than you. I knew a shooting guard once, just like you, and he had the potential to be the greatest in the world. He was held back because he cared that he was worse than others. But you? You never blinked at it, just practised and practised until you could do the impossible.”

His words are getting louder with pride; he’s unable to keep it steady with the outpouring of emotion in his speech.

“Tell me, who can master Ray Allen’s form in one and a half years? Who can be such a rookie at basketball, yet be able to fight an Uncrowned King and respond to a shot that has left all its previous victims unable to move?!” Izuki leans forward and jabs a finger into Koganei’s chest demandingly. “Tell me, who the hell was that?!”

“Me,” Koga whispers timidly, looking down.

ahhhh yay for more platonic comfort and bonding. *izuki voice* yelling is the way to get ur team to get their shit tgt

chapter 15: born to soar

Izuki finds himself moving, barely thinking as he grabs the ball and bawls for an attack. He’s running faster than he ever has, flying up the court like there are wings on his legs. No one follows at his pace - they’re all too far behind.

No one but Kiyoshi.

The rhythm beats louder than ever, a heavy pulse in Izuki’s head and heart. He can feel Akashi on his heels and knows he needs to do something.

One second left—

Izuki’s hands move on their own, passing the ball to the one person he knows that he will always find.

Kiyoshi catches it and jumps.

Fortyfivethirtyfivetwentyfivefifteen—

The ball leaves his hands.

Fivezero—

The whistle blows to end the game. Kiyoshi’s shot hits the backboard and drops straight into the basket. Time stops as a shrill sound screeches into the air and the ref shouts, “124 to 123, Seirin High wins the Winter Cup!”

there we go. the most heartwrenching scene of this chapter ahhhhh

chapter 16: final flight

“We should go. Don’t want to keep them waiting too long,” Kiyoshi says, staring daggers at Hyūga, who to his credit doesn’t flinch but merely stares back.

“Let’s go, then,” Izuki agrees. He looks straight at Hyūga and allows a small, formal smile to play on his lips. Hyūga just nods, accepting the answer.

Izuki nods back, then turns around and starts walking away. But even as he moves toward the exit, something weighs heavily in his tired chest. For the first time in a long time, he isn’t confident in his decision.

Acting on impulse, he turns on his heel and yells out, “Call sometime, maybe!” before walking backwards out the door that Kiyoshi holds for him.

It’s an open-ended suggestion. Hyūga can choose to wallow and ignore it, or he can choose to pick up the phone. Izuki isn’t going to do so either way - he’ll be happy if Hyūga makes that call, but he won’t be terribly sad if he doesn't.

This time, he’s going to be the one that walks forward without looking back.

ahhh okay so this scene means a hella lot to me personally because... i had to grow, the way izuki grew. izuki’s now strong enough to sort of put the olive branch out and say, “take it or leave it,” and if it’s left he’s not gonna be upset. that’s something i really learned with a lot of difficulty and i think that that growth - in both me and him - is a lovely thing.

and there we have it! my favorite moments from each chapter of this story. *cries in a corner* god i can’t believe it’s over...

THANK YOU FOR THE JOURNEY!

[randomrichards]

BEST MOVIE MOMENTS OF 2020

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Abe Makes Dinner from ABE

Teen chef protégé Abe (Stranger Thing’s Noah Schnapp) hopes that his dinner blending Israeli and Palestinian dishes will mend a bridge between his Israeli and Palestinian families (as well as his atheist father). But he gets a sad dose of reality when he learns the hard way that a wedge between families can’t always be solved with a meal.

“Wait for It” from HAMILTON

On June 16, 2016, Leslie Odom Jr. surprised many by beating Hamilton star/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Best Actor award at the Tony Awards. And now they understood why thanks to Disney+ presenting the musical. And it all has to do with the song “Wait for It.”

In this soulful musical number, Odom Jr. allows us to understand Aaron Burr’s beliefs in letting fate leads his path. Whether it’s winning the heart of a married woman or watching all his loved ones parish, Burr is willing to wait for destiny to reveal why. It also showcases the contrast between Burr and Hamilton. This song changes Burr from History’s villain to a complicated anti-hero.

10)          Deku and Bakugo go full Super Sayan in MY HERO ACADEMIA: HEROES RISING

My Hero Academia always delivers great action scenes and they truly shine in their latest round in the cinema.

In his final battle to protect young brother and sister Mahoro (Tomoyo Kurosawa in Japanese, Dani Chambers in English) and Katsuma (Yuka Terasaki in Japanese, Maxey Whitehead in English) from ruthless power-stealer Nine (Yoshio Inoue in Japanese, Johnny Yong Bosch in English), underdog hero-in-training Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita in Japanese, Justin Briner in English) transfers his “One-For-All” power to hotheaded classmate Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto in Japanese, Clifford Chapin in English). The result is an image of the in super powered form resembling Super Sayans.

When Deku reaches 100% power, the film suddenly turns white then stretches into abstract imagery.

Honestly, the main reason I put this on the list is because it’s pure awesome and I’m not afraid to admit it.

9)            A Survivor Model from COLLECTIVE

This documentary follows the reporters of Romanian Newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as their investigation into the Colective Club fire in Bucharest that killed 27 people and left 180 injured exposed vast health care fraud that caused survivors to die in the hospital and would bring down the government. Another key focus is a survivor who was so badly burned she lost most of her fingers. The camera focuses on her as she watches conferences about the fire.

In a standout moment, she models for photo shoots. In this moment, we see a beautiful woman who refuses to allow her disability to stop her, revealing her power.

8)            the Wuhan Flu Song from BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

Many best scenes of 2020 will focus on the bed scene with Tutar and Rudy Gulianni. But I prefer to focus on the scene where Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) performs the “Wuhan Flu Song” at a Anti-Masker Rally. Not only is it deliciously cringy and hilarious, but It perfectly captures all of Cohen’s strengths as a comedic performer.

As with Borat’s previous cringy yet catchy “Throw the Jew Down the Well, Cohen uses the Borat persona exposes the ugliest side of America. Watching the Qanon conspiracy theorists cheering on Borat (under the guise of Country Steve) singing about injecting Obama with the Coronavirus horrifies while splitting sides. This moment reveals the dangerous consequences of misinformation and conspiracy theorists on society. Plus, the song is shamelessly catchy as hell.

Add the fact that Cohen was nearly attacked during this scene shows how far he’s willing to go to make a point and get a laugh.

7)            The Dinner Scene from LET HIM GO

This scene is a perfect example of how you put subtext in a scene. On the surface, It’s just Weboy matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville) serving porkchops to her daughter in law Lorna’s(Kayli Carter) former parent in laws Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner). But with the context of Margaret and George trying to deliver Lorna and their grandson from her abusive husband, you can feel the hostility in the atmosphere.

It’s a credit to the actors and their ability to hide their aggression under a mask of southern hospitality. It’s especially true for Manville, who brings to life a woman who is a master of hiding her cruelty under a pleasant smile. She may sound welcoming to them, but you can tell something’s off about her. No wonder she’s able to manipulate the police into siding with her. Hell, many audience will be surprised when they find out she’s British in real life.

Lane matches her every step of the way with the most nuanced jabs.

It won’t get as much appreciation due to it’s unassuming nature. But it’s a perfect scene to show how to bring nuance to a performance.

6)            The Restaurant Scene from THE INVISIBLE MAN

At first, it seemed Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) finally has the drop on her sociopathic control freak ex Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After days being tormented by him, Cecilia finally has proof of how he turns invisible. Now she goes to a public restaurant to convince her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer). But then a  levitating knife appears out of nowhere and slits Emily’s throat before flying into Cecilia’s hands.

Director Leigh Whannell and cinematographer Stefan Duscio do an excellent job using everyday envirnoments to create a sense of unease. Whenever the camera lingers on a kitchen, you search with anxious eyes for any sign of Adrian. In this case, they use the ambience of a crowded fancy restaurant to create a false sense of security. And yet, you can’t help but wonder if Adrian’s still watching them.

It’s in this scene where title character goes from a good villain to a great villain. Here we see what a cunning monster he truly is. The scene also showcases Moss’s terrific performance as her desperate eyes showcase the complete helplessness she feels in this scenario.

5)            Edna sheds her skin in RELIC

Rarely do the words “horror” and “heartbreaking” go together, but that describes the ending to this underrated gem.

Kay (Emily Mortimer) returns to her family home to care for her mother Edna (Robyn Nevin), who seems to be suffering from dementia. Now she and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) find themselves trapped in the crawlspace while fleeing a warped Edna, who has been warped by a supernatural force. With contorted joints and decaying flesh, she has become monstrous. At first it seems they have defeated Edna and are heading out the door.

Then Kay looks back to see her mother lying on the ground, struggling to breath. This brings the film into a unexpected turn as Kay carries the creature that used to be her mother to bed. When Kay peels the skin off Edna’s body to reveal a charcoal skinned, dying creature, the film goes from creepy to heartbreaing. Anyone who ever lost a loved one to dementia will recognize to devastating feeling of watching them fade away right in front of your eyes.

4)             The one-take action scene in EXTRACTION

Well, we can’t have a best movie moments of 2020 list without mentioning the 10 minute action sequence from Extraction.

As black market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) shields the kidnapped son of a drug lord from other mercenaries, his race across a Bangladesh village delivers all you want from an action movie. Fast paced car chase? Check. Semi-automatic gun battles? Check. Hand to hand combat? Check. Parkour across rooftops? You bet. Sometimes you’ll even get people get hit by cars during hand to hand combat. All of this happens while cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel makes it look like one take.

Sure, sophisticated viewers will recognize there the cuts are hidden. But when director Sam Hargrave is willing to ride on the hood of a car as it races across dirt roads for the sake of a shot, you can’t help but be impressed

3)            Opening Bike Ride from THE CLIMB

The film begins with what sees like a regular bike ride. American Mike (Director and Co-Writer Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Co-Writer Kyle Marvin) are racing across the road of a French mountain before Kyle’s wedding. But then Mike reveals he’s slept with Kyle’s fiancé, resulting in the furious Kyle to chase Mike. Unfortunately, they’re both too exhausted to commit to a long chase.

The whole opening sequence could be its own short film. Covino and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein) shoot it all in one unbroken take, allowing the awkward exchange to flow more naturally. It leads to a hilarious moment when Kyle tries to chase Mike, but neither have the energy to keep going. Plus, it summarizes the reoccuring cycle of the film with Mike becoming increasingly self-destructive and a terrible friend and Kyle being nice until pushed too far.

2)            The Ending from UNCUT GEMS

After spending two hours in a state of panic, it looks like the audience will finally breath a sigh of relief. After locking his pissed off brother in law Arlo (Eric Bogosian) and his goons Phil (Keith William Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) in the Jewelry store with him, smooth talking jeweler and gambling addict Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes the biggest win of his life via pinpoint accurate predictions of a basketball game. Now he has millions of dollars; way more than enough to pay off his debt. Everything’s coming up Howard. That is until the furious Phil puts a bullet in Howard’s head and proceeds to rob his store.

With all his reckless behaviour (including putting his girlfriend at risk) and overconfidence, you knew at somehow Howard was going to be punished. But when the flilm cuts to scenes of Howard’s family celebrating the game and his girlfriend leaves with the money, you can’t help but know how bad they’re going to feel when they find Howard dead.

Then the camera zooms into Howard’s bullet wound to reveal the same colourful kaliedescope imagery as shown within the title uncut gems. With Daniel Lopatin’s enchanting new wave score playing, this moment gives the audience a moment to finally relax before closing with Gigi D’Agostino’s L’amour Toujours.

In spite of (or because of) his flaws; Howard is himself an uncut gem.

1)            The little things inspire Joe from SOUL

Everyone recognizes “The Pixar Moment”; that scene that elevates a Pixar film from great to extraordinary. No one can truly define it, but it’s the one scene from the film everyone talks about. It’s the ten-minute prologue from Up. It’s Anton Ego’s reaction after trying Remy’s dish in Ratatouille. Even a lesser Pixar film can have this moment; a perfect example is when Lighting McQueen allows Ramirez to race in his place in Cars 3. Now we can add another film to the list thanks to Pixar’s latest masterpiece Soul.

After a day of escaping the afterlife and being trapped in the body of a therapy cat, Joe Gardner’s (Jamie Foxx) has finally achieved his dream of being in a Jazz band. And he feels…nothing. So, he heads back to his piano to ponder his direction in life. Then he finds the items 22 (Tina Fey) collected while in his body. What results is a moment fans will be coming back to in their moment of need.

As Joe rests 22’s items in front of his piano and starts playing, he comes to realize how a pizza crust and a seed truly meant to her. In the process, he comes realize the moments that seemed meaningless at first had some magic in them. The joy of playing for his father. The feel of the ocean waves flowing on his feet. The taste of a café’s pie.

In a time when many people can’t do any major activities, this moment serves as a reminder of to appreciate the little things in life. I imagine many audiences will return to this scene in their lowest moments.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Why Early One Piece Remains So Magical

  If you go back and rewatch episodes from One Piece's early years, there's a vibe that can best be described as "breezy." Not that the series doesn't have its emotional, heartbreaking moments (it has a bunch) but there's a sense of meandering delight. You know when you wake up in the morning on a day that you have all to yourself? That feeling of "Well, what am I going to do today?" That's the feeling I'm talking about. Early One Piece has a lot of that.

  First, I should clarify that when I talk about "early" One Piece, I don't mean specifically pre-time skip. I actually mean the story up until about when the Going Merry gets its viking funeral. The adventure up until that point had been full of hints and nods and little tangents about where it could go, but it's when Garp arrives, reveals his connection to Luffy, and then basically lays out the schematics behind how the world works and who the Emperors are that suddenly One Piece begins to fall into line a little bit.

    For me, that's where early One Piece definitively ends. I'm not saying that the stuff to come after it is worse in any way. Far from it. There is so much joy and cool stuff to be found in arcs like Thriller Bark and Sabaody and Marineford and Whole Cake Island and Wano. One Piece is still an engaging, enrapturing story, and I sincerely doubt that I will ever quit it. It's just a different kind of story.

  A lot of this has to do with how the series allocates its goals. In early One Piece, the main overarching goals are "find the One Piece" and "ensure Luffy becomes King of the Pirates," and both of them are approached very loosely. There's a real "We'll get there when we get there" attitude. In fact, most of the major arcs from this time period — Arlong Park, Alabasta, Enies Lobby — don't take place due to any grand plot machinations. The story does not push them to the forefront. Rather, they happen due to the Straw Hat Crew wanting to take care of one of their own. They are the main thing going on, yet they are totally character-based, and in that way, almost happenstance. Luffy does not strive to take down Arlong or Crocodile or Rob Lucci. Rather they get in the way of his beloved crew member's happiness, and he can't abide by them.

  Also yes, Vivi is a Straw Hat. 

    Fast-forward about 15 years and we're dealing with the team-up to take down Kaido and the discovery of the Poneglyphs. These have personal ramifications, but they're very narrative-based. Definite things in the plot will happen when they are completed. For me, this is exciting in, again, a different way. For a long time, the Straw Hat Crew was kind of aloof to their accomplishments. They stopped a warlord from over-throwing a kingdom and released a sky nation from the grips of a megalomaniacal tyrant and declared war on the World Government just so Robin could live freely. Then they sailed away like "Yeah! That was fun! Break out the meat n' booze!" Now, they're very aware of their impact on the world. They are major players who recognize their roles.

  In the first Wano opening "Over The Top," the wonderful Hiroshi Kitadani croons, "I have to get there because I want to get there first." But in "We Are!", the first-ever One Piece opening, he sings, "Compasses and such will only hold us back." Obviously, I doubt this was deliberate, but it's kind of indicative of the aims of these two sections of the One Piece timeline. One is about explicitly getting somewhere. The other is about getting somewhere ... sort of.

    Of course. none of early One Piece would be possible without the talented folk behind it. Having previously directed on Sailor Moon, series director Konosuke Uda oversaw the series until midway through the Enies Lobby arc, during a time when the character designs were often less formal than they are now. Noboru Koizumi's beautiful characters seemed to burst with enthusiasm and feeling, their faces tailor-made for the expressiveness required of the series.

  The late Michiru Shimada worked on many scripts and her work remains consistently underrated for just how well she translated Eiichiro Oda's big character moments to the screen. Nami's "Help me?" Luffy waving the flag for Wapol and Chopper to prove that it didn't break? Zoro declaring that he will never lose again after his loss to Mihawk? Shimada had a hand in turning all of these from unforgettable manga scenes to unforgettable anime scenes. 

    Meanwhile, directors like Hidehiko Kadota, Junji Shimizu, and many others ensured constant energy. And finally, you had Shiro Hamaguchi, who after composing the score for a little game called Final Fantasy VII, gave One Piece its iconic music. Early One Piece is full of wonderful anime creators and I implore that you look them up and see what they each bring to the table.

  I think early One Piece's mix of playfulness and amazingly touching emotional moments is why it remains so rewatchable for me. At the point of this writing, it's almost 1,000 episodes long. Under most circumstances, that would be too high of a hill to climb. But those first few arcs present a world I want to be in, a world so comfortable and exciting that the episode number doesn't matter anymore. It's a testament to their power that so many fans have stuck around this long. Early One Piece, y'all. There's just something about it. 

      Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daniel Dockery

[natsspammityspamspamham]

Dino Watches Anime (Oct 26)

Recently Completed!

Tokyo Godfathers

Score: 10/10

There’s a reason why I gave this such a rare high rating. When I was watching it, I was internally like, “*excitement noises* I have not been this excited over an anime in such a long time, let alone for an anime movie. EVERYONE SHUT UP SO I CAN WATCH THIS EVEN IF I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE SAYING.”

It’s not often that you come across really good movies, let alone masterpieces like this movie. The art is so good, the story made me feel like it was Christmas in October, and the characters really made me connect. 

I know the subtitles used a whole lot of gay slurs and things like that, but Hana (the trans character in this tale) is treated well if we get past that huge hurdle. She truly owns up to herself. She doesn’t care what she’s called. She gets mad at people who misgender her. She gets mad if she’s forced to go to a men’s facility. She wants people to call her “an old hag” rather than “an old coot”. She just wants to be a mother even if she isn’t “biologically a woman” who can bear children. So when she comes across this kid, she thinks, “I will finally be a mother!” These are issues that real people face. These are issues that cisgendered people take for granted.

Madhouse really knocked it out of the park. Satoshi Kon is one of the biggest creators and directors in anime history. He’s known for horror and psychological works like Perfect Blue, Paprika, and Millennium Actress. I never expected him to be this good at making a movie that could move my soul like this. The characters were so far from perfect, yet I wanted the best for each of them. The way it handled everything was masterful. The dialogue worked so well and was witty, the voice actors (despite the main three not being in anything else for the most part) were so good at giving life to their characters, and the art blew me away in 2019 even though this was released in 2003. The only thing I didn’t quite like as much was the score during some parts of the movie, but it was subjectively good and just wasn’t to my taste (the Noragami soundtrack wasn’t a fav of mine either). 

Just... watch the movie. If you can watch it around Christmas. It’s good for you.

Saiunkoku Monogatari

Score: 7.4/10 

Yes, I binge-watched all 39 episodes in two days, what’s it to ya?! In reality, I just boosted the speed of the video.

Me throughout this show: Why do you all have triangle heads? What’s with that?

Okay, it’s the art style, and a lot of shoujo anime go with the concept that it looks good. Once you get over the art hurdle making me believe this was created in the early 2000s despite it being 3 years younger than Tokyo Godfathers, this turns out to be a really nice show. I just can’t believe they’re BOTH from Madhouse. 

Remember Snow White with the Red Hair? Remember Akatsuki no Yona? If you liked those shows, you’re going to like this one... except it relies more on the political plot. It’s mostly about a woman wanting to pursue her dreams of being a politician in a male-dominated world. She’s entasked with helping this mess of a king to get his act together, and as much as I can try to prove that it’s surprisingly progressive (given the art and genre), I think that’d be spoiling it a little. The only character that actually bothered me was the prince who was voiced by Tomokazu Seki who honestly was a bit annoying and sounded so fake for me. However, this anime made me appreciate Hikaru Midorikawa’s voice as well as Houko Kuwashima who I’ve only heard voicing dead moms and only a few good characters here and there. Seriously, both of their voices are great. Toshiyuki Morikawa sounds good too, but we already knew that. I don’t like the OP or ED (or a whole lot of the music), but that’s the case for a lot of these 2005-era anime. Just like a lot of the anime on MAL, I do think this is an underrated show, but it does have its pitfalls if you’re just craving for a quick shoujo without any politics.

Full Metal Panic: Second Raid

Score: 7/10

I binge-watched this entire season while my parents were out for dinner and something else. It only took me a couple of hours because I boosted the speed.

I wanted to get a gif specifically from this season, so this one will have to do. So much wasted potential will this character (who’s one of two twins). I know they were trying to play the whole “twincest” thing, but I’m personally not a fan. They provided some cool fight scenes even at a certain cringe cost. The fact that Kyoto Animation animated this bumped the art from a 3 to an 8. It’s crazy how much the quality jumped after a new studio took over. Unfortunately, they didn’t take care of the next season. I know the main ship in the series is pretty clear, but this season made it closer to canon (too bad it took around 13 years to make the next season).

Kara no Kyoukai (movies: 5, 6, 7)

Score:  Part Five: 7.5/10 Part Six: 5.8/10 Part Seven: 8.2/10

Not gonna lie, I watched the first four movies over a year ago and retained nothing. I had to read the Wikia to assist me and to begin with, I watched this to get into the “Type-Moon” universe (which consists of this and the Fate nonsense stuff), Yuki Kajiura’s score, and Maaya Sakamoto and Kenichi Suzumura voicing a couple. The score would probably change if I’d watched them regularly, but I digress because I watched movies 5-7 in one afternoon. Ufotable was pretty good at animating this and the voice acting worked really well. Yuki Kajiura’s music didn’t hit well at first when I was first watching the first few movies over a year ago because it wasn’t what I envisioned the score being, but once you get into the mood and mindset, it adds so much to the story. Although, I still really didn’t like part six. I thought it was a complete flop because I just want to get rid of anyone who believes i*cest is an okay thing. This isn’t Alabama. Go home. Not else to say here because this took so much commitment that I doubt anyone would watch it.

Paranoia Agent

Score: 8.6/10

With spoopy month coming to a close (already?!) I watched this anime earlier this month, but I forgot to write about it. That’s partly because there’s so much to unpack here. This was a thriller, psychological, horror anime by Satoshi Kon. That’s right, the first anime above was also done with him in the director’s seat. This anime was smart. There’s a reason why Robin Williams likes it! It was scary in the best of ways. It revealed a part of society that we see all the time but don’t talk about (especially in Japanese society where emotions are better kept concealed). Just the opening alone made me feel uneasy. The OP and ED were simplistic yet worked. I binge-watched the whole series because it was that gripping. 

It was a little confusing at times, but that’s also because that’s just a common thing with horror anime. That suspense keeps us going. It keeps us on the edge of our seats. Who’s going to be the next victim of Shounen Bat? Episode 8 came out of nowhere for me, and I liked it. There were several scenes that sent shivers down my spine in the best way possible. It isn’t always “scary”, but it gives suspense.

Aoi Bungaku

This one is going to be reviewed a little differently. Since it has specific arcs, I’m going to review them as such!

Ningen Shikkaku: 8.2/10

We start off with a bang. Osamu Dazai was a man of suffering. This story really shows that. In this story, we see a man who’s desperate to know what makes him human. We see this through the eyes of a fictional character, but I personally view this as a semi-autobiography.

The art was chilling. The voice acting from Masato Sakai was surprisingly good. A lot of the time, voice acting from live-action actors just aren’t that great. Every time you think this character will get back on his feet, he falls deeper and deeper. It truly did make me wonder what made me human.

Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita: 3.9/10

That moment when the only thing that saves this arc is Nana Mizuki’s singing. Seriously, her jazz songs were awesome. Can’t say that about the rest. I mean, the art is good, but it’s Madhouse so most of their stuff is already good. The story wasn’t that original. Mind you, this was probably during a period where foreign influence was strong, and I haven’t read the original story, but... this is basically Salome (the opera) with some differences. Both have a crazy woman with a fixation over lifeless decapitated heads. Both have men that are captivated with her beauty so they give her what she wants because of that reason alone, they both murder religious people (monk/shrine maiden and a prophet), and both eventually realize that women can be crazy when they demand a lifeless head because you know, that’s just a red flag. Above all, it suffers from tonal shifts. You can’t have a woman turning moe then demand you bring her another head to play with. You can’t have Masato Sakai playing another main character that doesn’t fit him! Seriously, he doesn’t have the voice of a brute and just couldn’t do it. Overall, this arc was a mess, and I’m glad it was one of the shorter ones.

Kokoro: 7.6/10

This looked like a masterpiece compared to the last arc. I haven’t read Kokoro, but this made me go, “Huh, I don’t remember this happening.” That’s because they chose a certain part of the book (near the end apparently) and just went off that and created its own anime-original episode. Despite that, it was pretty good! There were some screaming discrepancies which did hurt its impression (because it made it feel out of place to the point where even I, as an uneducated anime viewer, could clearly see).

(I think this is from Kokoro but I might be wrong)

Hashire, Melos!: 8.9/10

Would you look at that? It’s the best arc of the series. Hashire, Melos was great. It had me going from beginning to end, and it’s the only arc that doesn’t have Masato Sakai playing the lead character. The art, the pacing, the storytelling, the story, the sound, the voice acting, and the art direction complemented each other so well. It made me far more interested in the original. 

The Spider’s Thread: 6.6/10

If you look really close, you’ll notice that the creator of Bleach took over character design for this! It was okay. I found that it was a little cliche and lacklustre. Mamo is around so much that you probably have to do more than that to keep my attention, and this had the art going for it too. It just wasn’t that interesting. A heartless murderer is sent to hell after being executed. Moral of the story: Don’t be an asshole. Alright. Nice. I do understand that Ryuunosuke Akutagawa was one of the main establishers of the whole “Japanese Short Story” thing, but after seeing it so many times, I just didn’t get that same chill.

Hell Screen: 6.9/10 

Another Akutagawa short story! This one had far more of an impact because this one hit closer to Akutagawa’s heart. Knowing the history of this piece of writing, you can see his desperation to stay relevant and true to his craft. It’s about a painter who wants to paint the town but finds out the city isn’t the bright light he sees in his mind. Everything goes ablaze. The art for this is stunning. I probably would’ve enjoyed this story more if it was placed in the middle of the series run rather than being the last story. 

Recently Started

Africa no Salaryman

The animation for this is terrible. There is no way around it. However, at least it’s funny. Still, close to being on the chopping block. It has the papa lion who’s played by Akio Ohtsuka, the straight-man middle lizard played by Kenjirou Tsuda, and the scumbag toucan played by Hiro Shimono. Yes, they all play Hero Academia villains. The jokes are pretty good for me.

Given

Oh, would you look at that? It’s a music anime. *inhales* Music anime is a double-edged sword for me. I like having music interpreted and portrayed through one of my favourite mediums, but I don’t like them playing off music as some sort of easy gimmick and a joke. It’s like a shonen montage. “Let’s just have this guy train for two minutes and become a demigod”. But when you put an instrument into someone’s hand and demand the same, it sends me to another plane of angriness.  So far, the romance is kind of cute... but Mafuyu kind of annoys me since his role in the BL dynamic is so clear just by his voice. Same with Uchida. You can only play so many thugs a season. Kyou? Good. Chika? Good. This guy? Good, but don’t do them all back-to-back! I don’t like the BL dynamic being so basic. However, my mind can be changed if done right.

Shinsekai Yori

Very interesting premise, their eyes are cute, and I’m a sucker for these so I’m gonna stick with it.

[ionlycareaboutyou]

Hullo. What are your favorite movies? (Any quantity) Are there any particular reasons?

i like a lot of movies! here are a few

i love the shape of water, it’s probably my favorite movie of all time. i watch scenes from it when i’m anxious because it calms me down. it feels like a fairytale both in story and cinematography and every performance is done with such care and love, especially sally hawkins. i love the score and i love the feeling of love and perseverance that permeates the entire film.

i also love the silence of the lambs, because i feel like it’s a film that uses the medium of both film and adaption nearly perfectly. the suspense, the performances, the script - it has stood the test of time and even though i’ve seen it several times i am still utterly captivated by it every time.

my favorite animated film is kiki’s delivery service because it’s another film that calms me down and takes me to a place where life is simple and beautiful. i really love how they show kiki’s struggle with insecurity because it’s something that is so relatable and often isn’t dealt with, or is dealt with not very well, in other animated films for children. the score and artwork is so beautiful and if i could live anywhere fictional, it would be where kiki lives.

everyone knows i really love the 2019 adaption of little women, because i never shut up about it, ever. but i really, really do love it. it’s another film that makes me feel so warm. there are so many scenes that are so gorgeously shot i just want to step inside of them and stay there for awhile. the love between the characters feels so real and earnest as does the grief, the loneliness, the anger. it is a period piece but the characters don’t feel inaccessible or too dated. it’s a film that i adored from the first moment. i could watch it over and over and never be tired of it.

finally, and this is a recent addition to my favorite movies, but i love the skeleton twins. it’s another film that feels very earnest, even in its imperfections. i think it doesn’t shy away from the imperfect relationships of life, that, despite their imperfection, are still essential. the performances are so good and SOOO UNDERRATED, and milo’s monologue about feeling as if he peaked in high school punches me in the gut every single time.

[everythingmusicandfilm]

Oscars 2019

Yep it’s that time of year again, the 91st Annual Academy Awards is on the 24th Feb 2019. An interesting year for the oscars, after announcing there will be no host and that the awards for editing and cinematography won’t be aired lived before revoking that decision. It seems like the awards are up in the air and there were a lot of snubs. After a lot of debates, I have finally narrowed down (sort of) my oscar picks for the year. 

Writing

Adapted Screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

“BlacKkKlansman” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins

“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

I really loved The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and the six different stories however I struggled to see how they worked together, it very much felt like a broken up film. Can You Ever Forgive Me was a surprisingly intriguing story that uses McCarthy’s performance to keep it going. If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful story that focuses on young black lovers that rarely get represented in Hollywood. A Star is Born also a beautiful story that managed to differ from previous versions and provide a unique take on the story in the modern era. Best adapted screenplay for me however is BlacKkKlansman, a powerful and inspiring story that connects America’s past with present times to comment on the absurdity of today’s political climate.

Original Screenplay

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader

“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“Vice,” Adam McKay

This was a particularly tough category to choose from. Vice was not my favourite film and I found it rather messy. Green Book was a step up and I loved the character arc of Mortensen’s character. Roma, easily one of my favourite films of the year had a beautiful story and intriguing characters. I really really loved First Reformed. The importance of climate change along with the often contradicting worlds of science and religion and discussions of mental health, this film had an intriguing storyline that really got me thinking. I think however my favourite original screenplay out of these choices (and not just because of the pun) is The Favourite. It is a uniquely strange film that I have never seen anything like before. A comedy period film is a unique blend of genres that I can’t get enough of. With incredible performances from Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, the interesting look at behind the scenes of the absurd royal family along with lesbian characters that are almost never shown in films of this time period. The Favourite is a fresh story that as sequels and franchises dominate the film industry today, seems extremely rare.

Technical

Cinematography

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan

“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Cold War had particularly stunning cinematography along with The Favourite and Never Look Away. I really loved the cinematography in A Star is Born also. The close proximity of the camera to the couple falling in love as well as on the stage makes this film so intimate. The lighting in this film is incredible and highlights the stunning blue and red colour palette. I think the oscar however should go to Roma cinematographer/director Alfonso Cuarón. I can’t remember the last time I watched a film so visually stunning. The monochrome tone is embraced with the latest digital technology to create a film so stunning it might just win the oscar.

Visual Effects

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“Christopher Robin”

“First Man”

“Ready Player One”

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Both Ready Player One and Solo: A Star Wars Story were disappointments for me and the visual effects were far from revolutionary. Christopher Robin was however a lovely film and the visual effects used to create Winnie the Pooh and his friends were impressive, creating a unique look between cartoon and reality. First Man, one of my favourite films of the year had some stunning visual effects both in heroic scenes and heartbreaking as the mission to the moon played out. My favourite use of visual effects in a film however has to go to Avengers: Infinity War. There can be a lot of stigma around superhero films however you have to be pretty ignorant to ignore what these films are doing. Only 3% of the shots in Infinity War did not use visual effects, entire characters are built around CGI including the incredible performance by Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film has created the entire world of Wakanda and features many space scenes. It is safe to say that the Marvel films are leading the way for visual effects and are definitely deserving of the oscar this year.

Production Design

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler

“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas

“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton

“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim

“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Again, a difficult category to choose from. Mary Poppins Returns was a visually stunning film to watch as the effects and costumes came to light. The Favourite also managed to bring the 17th century to light with its set. First Man was a highly underrated film this year and the production design was incredible as it reimagined the 1960s in a way I haven’t seen before. Roma was one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen and was a very close second along with First Man. The best production design however has to go to Black Panther. The amount of work that went into that film in order to create authenticity was obvious when watching the film. An almost entire African/African American crew and cast made the film authentic with African culture. The costuming/makeup along with the set design/colours and special effects created a visually stunning film that revolutionised the film industry and even shaped history.

Film Editing

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman

“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito

“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“Vice,” Hank Corwin

I have already expressed my opinions on Vice and I think the editing is where the film went wrong so not entirely sure how it is in this category. Green Book again, a lovely film but not exactly revolutionary. Bohemian Rhapsody I have mixed feelings about, but there is no doubt that the editing to move between the music scenes and dialogue was very well done. The Favourite, again a unique film that uses editing to merge genres like we haven’t seen before. However the oscar for best editing has to go to BlacKkKlansman. The editing in this film is genius. The pacing allows the comedy to work and the politics to hit the audience in just the right moments. The use of split screens and merging images along with the use of the Charlottesville footage at the end allows this masterpiece of a film to bloom. It allows for the comedy and politics to play out at the right moments, a tactic I think Vice failed to do.

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Border”

“Mary Queen of Scots”

“Vice”

I think the makeup and hairstyling nomination only applies to Christian Bale in Vice, although an incredible transformation it was. And although there are some stunning transformations in Mary Queen of Scots, I think Border deserves to take home the oscar. Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff are virtually unrecognisable in this film as the makeup and hairstyling helps to make this film so special.

Costume Design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter

“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Some great period costumes were shown in The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Poppins Returns and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. However the costume design in Black Panther was highly unique and revolutionary. The in depth detail and authenticity that went into the African warrior costumes as well as the Black Panther suit was extremely impressive. So much hard work went into making these costumes and it was refreshing to see African culture portrayed this way in a major Hollywood movie.

Sound

Original Score

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard

“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

First of all I am absolutely astounded that First Man was not nominated for best score, did they even see the movie ??? Anyway, this category is still extremely difficult to pick. I ended up with a tie between Black Panther and Isle of Dogs. If you read my Mary Poppins Returns review then you’ll already know how obsessed I am with the music in this film. If Beale Street Could Talk also offers some extremely beautiful and emotional piano pieces. BlacKkKlansman was also one of my favourite film scores as the solo guitar melody along with smooth drums and lush strings creates an extremely unique score. Black Panther however had an extremely powerful score that was authentic to African culture. The African vocals and drums creates a powerful score for a powerful King. I also absolutely loved the Isle of Dogs soundtrack as I can never look past Alexandre Desplat. The plucked strings fits perfectly with Wes Anderson’s lively animation. But yeah, still mad about First Man.

Original Song

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

An easy one for me. I do love the Kendrick beat for Black Panther as well as anything Mary Poppins. “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” was surprisingly a very close second. If you would have told me a year ago that a song sung by Tim Nelson would be one of my favourite film songs I would have laughed. The oscar however absolutely has to go to “Shallow”. This song is so raw and unique and has so much power and emotion. Bradley and Lady Gaga’s chemistry and their vocals make this song an oscar worthy performance that I can’t wait to hear live on the day.

Sound Editing

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst

“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan

“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Yes, finally First Man is recognised for sound. I am happy that A Quiet Place got nominated as it proves that silence is just as important as music in films. The oscar does by far go to First Man though as the sound in this film is astonishing. The way it is editing really highlights the important parts of the movie and turns it into a intimate drama rather than a Hollywood blockbuster.

Sound Mixing

“Black Panther”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“First Man”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

Again, same as above although each one of these nominations is deserving of the award. Sound mixing is slightly different as it is about how you hear the sound rather than what you hear. Two different but equally important parts of sound design. The sound mixing works with the sound editing in First Man to create a superb sonic film.

Animated Feature

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Loved Incredibles 2, loved Isle of Dogs but my favourite animated feature by far was Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. I have already written about how much I loved this film as it has completely revolutionized superhero and animated films. The story, the graphics, the sound really brought the comics to life to create a stunning, unique and important animated feature.  

Acting

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”

Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”

Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

I always love any role Sam Rockwell plays and I thought he made an incredible George Bush. Adam Driver was also impressive in BlacKkKlansman along with Sam Elliott’s legendary performance in A Star is Born. I can’t quite decide however between Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant. Ali is one of my favourite actors and he plays the reserved piano player role so well in Green Book, the reason why the film is getting so much attention. Grant also plays an impressive part in Can You Ever Forgive Me that for me actually overshadows McCarthy’s performance.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice”

Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Again, extremely hard to pick. I am a little confused that Amy Adams was nominated for this performance but not for her performance in Arrival??? Marina de Tavira also surprises audiences with her performance in Roma as she highlights the struggles of being a mother. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz both play incredible roles in The Favourite, both characters that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. Regina King however absolutely shines in If Beale Street Could Talk especially considering she didn’t have that much screen time. She is a very talented actress and it would be incredible to see the award go to a woman of colour.

Best Lead Actor

Christian Bale, “Vice”

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Some incredible performances by actors this year including Viggo Mortensen who plays an Italian American surprisingly well. I was also very impressed by Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’s Gate who brings raw emotion to the character of Van Gogh. Christian Bale, one of my favourite actors did an extraordinary transformation to play the character of Dick Cheney and I won’t be surprised if he takes home the oscar. Rami Malek also had an incredible transformation to play Freddie Mercury and I think it’s safe to say that the oscar will likely go to him. My favourite performance however was by Bradley in A Star is Born. I’ve already talked about how much I love this film and Bradley absolutely shines in it. He plays the musician, the alcoholic and the lover extremely well as he brings so much emotion and this film definitely moved me the most because of his performance.

Best Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

Glenn Close, “The Wife”

Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

I’m sorry I’ve just given up now. There are so many incredible actresses out there and they all deserve the oscar. Yalitza was absolutely incredible in Roma, an outstanding performance that brings so much joy to Mexican people as she gets the praise she deserves. Olivia Colman played an unforgettable role in The Favourite and Melissa McCarthy really surprised me in Can You Ever Forgive Me. The tie for the favourites however (and I’m wondering if there will actually be a tie) is between Glenn Close and Lady Gaga. A Star is Born is one of my favourite films of 2018 and Lady Gaga’s performance was a big reason for this. I was blown away by her acting and never once doubted that Ally was new to the world of music and fame. Glenn Close also impressed me with her performance in The Wife, and as we’ve seen with multiple awards ceremonies already, she is clearly a favourite to win.

Best Director and Best Picture

Best Director

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”

Adam McKay, “Vice”

So many great contenders this year but where the hell are the women??? Although I assume the oscar will go to one of my all time favourite directors (so I’m not complaining) Alfonso Cuarón, I think Spike Lee deserves the award. I’m shocked that this is his first time nominated to be honest. He has such a unique vision and all of his films especially BlacKkKlansman manages to connect comedy with politics to create an outstanding film that makes you both laugh and think. He is an extraordinary director and he really deserves this award.

Best Picture

“Black Panther”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

“Vice”

Best picture for me has to BlacKkKlansman. I don’t really understand how Vice and Bohemian Rhapsody are even in this category and although I did like Green Book, it wasn’t exactly a favourite for me. The Favourite was an extremely unique film that merged genres and had powerful performances, stunning costumes and production design and an intriguing story. Roma, who has very high chances of taking home the award was a refreshingly stunning film that highlights a mexican family who often do not get to see themselves represented in Hollywood. The cinematography, production design and sound were particular highlights for me along with Yalitza’s performance. Black Panther, a highly revolutionary film that has literally shaped history, has an outstanding cast, spectacular production design and costumes and a powerful score is an incredible contender for best picture and I would absolutely love if it won the award. A Star is Born, one of my favourite films of the year had so much emotion that it moved and inspired me in a way that Hollywood films don’t really do anymore. The directing, performances, cinematography, editing and of course music makes this film an extremely worthy Best Picture nominee. In the end I chose BlacKkKlansman as my best picture. Spike Lee delivers a unique film based on a true story that manages to balance laughter with shock, fact with fiction to represent both the absurdity and danger of racism in America. It combines extraordinary acting, editing, sound, cinematography and directing to create an extremely moving film that successfully comments of the political climate of America in 2018 and inspires a change. This is something that few Hollywood movies actually succeed in doing, and it should therefore win best picture.

Snubs:

If Beale Street Could Talk / Best Picture

Eighth Grade / Literally every single award

First Man / Best Score

Bradley Cooper / Best Director

Michael B. Jordan / Best Supporting Actor

All of the women directors

[scgdoeswhat]

Soccer Saturday

Summary: The entire Endless Summer gang head over to Jake, Cris, and Diego’s place to take in some World Cup action. (Jake x F!MC, Grace x Aleister, Craig x Zahra)

Rating: PG

Words: 1759

Author’s Notes: Drabble turned fic for @mechaspirit and the “Who sits on the other’s lap” OTP prompt! Thanks to Elena for giving me the idea for a World Cup viewing party! Since this is as close to real time as I’m getting, I’m sticking this in the Wonderful AU and making it one of the first in chronological order. Jake and the gang don’t belong to me (unfortunately), but the story does. No Beta used.

Also tagging @xo-endlessmayhem-xo, @itsagoodluckkiss and @princesstopgun because I’ve barraged them the last two weeks with footballers, ha.

  June 30, 2018

The sound of boisterous laughter carried throughout the condominium as Cris listened in from the kitchen. A few months had passed since the entire crew were able to be together and by some stroke of luck, everyone was congregated in her, Jake, and Diego’s place just as she planned.

Everyone had been so busy lately. Between finals, making up the lost semester, and (most importantly to her) clearing Jake’s name, it had been the first time where the 12 of them could all hang out and relax with nothing looming over their heads. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as this coincided with the World Cup – an event that she always associated with bringing those who were close to her all together.

To her knowledge, no one else except Aleister followed soccer – né football – like she did, but no one would turn down a reason to drink and party at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, either.

“Hey Princess! Where ya at? You’re missing all the action!” Jake hollered from the living room.

“I’m coming! Just bringing more beer and another bottle of champagne for the mimosas!” She replied, walking back and setting all the drinks on the coffee table. Looking up at the giant flat screen on the wall, she noticed the score line at 0-0. “What are you talking about? I didn’t miss anything; it’s still scoreless.”

Jake pulled her down onto the couch between him and Michelle, laughing as she yelped in surprise.

“I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about these two!” He pointed to a chortling Sean, who was busy lobbing mini croquettes and other small snacks into the mouth of an awaiting Craig.

“Dudes! Appreciate those a little more! I made them this morning!” Raj exclaimed as he watched the delicious projectiles sail through the air to their intended target.

Craig chewed and swallowed the tasty morsel. “Sorry, man! But just to let you know, they are insanely good.”

Zahra shook her head, waving her boyfriend off. “As if I didn’t see Raj opening the box and sticking these things straight into the oven earlier!” She reached out and plucked an incoming croquette from Sean out of the air before popping it into her mouth.

Raj put an offended hand over his chest. “Z – are you implying I didn’t make these?! I’m hurt!”

“Damn straight, I am,” she grinned. “Especially since Craig and I knew you were up late sampling your new stash of… let’s call it, ‘medication.’”

“Hey, at least it’s all legal now. And I do need it for medicinal purposes! Anyway, since you found me out, everyone want me to make more of them?”

A resounding chorus of “Yeahs” rang out amid laughter as Raj rose and headed towards the kitchen.

“Aww, well now what else is there for Sean to throw at me?”

The quarterback looked around, spying a giant bowl of chicharron.

“Don’t even think about it, pretty boy.” Estela’s hands appeared out of nowhere, making sure the bowl of fried pork rinds was out of his lengthy reach.

Jake chuckled as he grabbed a handful as Estela walked by, heading back to the table where she rejoined Quinn, Grace, and Aleister. He fed Cris a small piece and she surveyed the scene in front of her with a smile on her face.

At that moment, Diego came out of his bedroom and automatically zeroed in on Sean and Craig, who had resorted to tossing pretzels at each other.

“Guys, I swear, you better not be making a mess! I’m going to be the one stuck cleaning it up, knowing these two!” He pointed at his two flatmates.

“Hey, what do you mean? We clean up!” Cris exclaimed.

“Yeah sure, when you two aren’t all over each other!” Quinn chimed in, throwing a wadded-up napkin at the couple.

“Oh, leave them be,” Grace interjected, smiling at Aleister. “I think it’s really cute they’re finally able to just be normal, especially after clearing Jake’s name.”

“I don’t know if ‘cute’ would be the word I would use, my dear,” the Englishman scoffed, crossing his arms. “You wouldn’t be using it either had you witnessed what I walked in on that day.”

Everyone started howling in amusement as Cris buried her face into Jake’s shoulder, while projectiles ranging from rolled up napkins to sweet and savory edibles were thrown their way.

Jake smirked, lapping up the attention. “Hey, don’t hate because my ridiculously hot wife can’t keep her hands off my – “

“OH. KAY. DOODLEJUMPS. GOT MORE CROQUETTES HERE. NO NEED TO ELABORATE, DUDE!”

“The thing is, that shit is tame compared to what usually comes out of his mouth!” Diego shook his head as the whole room doubled over cackling as Raj reentered the room.

At the table, Grace leaned over, whispering into Aleister’s ear, “But can you really blame them? How many times were we almost caught the same way you walked in on them?”

Aleister’s face turned red at his girlfriend’s words, all while she shot him an innocent smile with her hand on his leg.

On the other side of the room, Zahra busied herself making drinks that barely passed for mimosas, with minimal orange juice being used. “You know, I was skeptical about coming over so early for some soccer match, even under the guise of acceptable drinking before breakfast but now that it’s turned into a roast? So worth it.”

Sean turned his attention to the screen, remembering there was a match on. “So, we’re watching France versus Argentina? Isn’t that Messi guy on Argentina?”

“Yeah, he’s on there. Plays his club soccer at Barcelona. He might be getting older, but his footwork is still great,” Craig answered nonchalantly, garnering stared from the entire group. “What? Just because I play football means I can’t appreciate the world’s football? There’s a reason why they call it ‘The Beautiful Game,’ man.”

“I’m more or a Ronaldo girl,” Quinn interrupted, smiling widely. “And Portugal are playing after this, so I hope everyone’s staying for that one, too!”

Estela scoffed as she waved her hand dismissively. “You can have your Messi and Ronaldo. I’ll take James Rodriguez. He’s still underrated. Too bad he’s injured because he’s so talented.”

Michelle had her phone out, googling the players being mentioned and nodded unconvincingly at the pictures she was pulling up.

“I don’t know, I can’t really pinpoint the change, but Ronaldo used to look better before – “ she looked up at the screen, the camera focusing on a player in a solid blue kit, his brown hair slicked back, blue eyes sparkling while his tongue was currently sticking out. “Who is THAT? Oh my God, I’m not even into facial hair on guys, but that guy is HOT.”

Aleister looked at the television and rolled his eyes. “Olivier Giroud? He’s French and he recently transferred to my club from Arsenal.”

“He had me at ‘French,’” Michelle giggled as she started googling photos of him.

“I don’t really like soccer,” Jake said to no one in particular. “They fall over if someone breathes on them.” The referee’s whistle rang through the TV’s speakers, and as if on cue, a replay of a player who wasn’t touched but had fallen to the ground was shown in slow motion. “See? My point exactly.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Sean added, “these guys are totally athletic, but I don’t think they could handle the physicality of football.”

Diego snickered, as if he was holding a secret. “You’re unusually quiet about this, Cris. I know you have an opinion on this.”

Cris threw her head back, chuckling. “I totally watch soccer, but since the Azzurri didn’t qualify, I’m not emotionally invested in anyone this time.” A feline grin graced her face. “I’m just observing. Observing and admiring all this wonderful ‘talent’ on display. And yes, Giroud is very... talented.”

Michelle gasped and started giggling uncontrollably. “Cris. Look at THIS.” She shoved her phone in her friend’s face, a giddy energy rolling off her.

Cris screeched at the screen as both girls shot up off the couch and bounced over to the table, proceeding to show the animated gif to Quinn. The redhead squealed in delight, which prompted Zahra to come over.

“Nice find, Meech,” Zahra smiled slyly.

Grace’s eyes grew to the eyes of saucers as she sat back down next to Aleister, who gave her a questioning look.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know. You’ll never look at him the same way again.”

He nodded, completely trusting her judgment.

All the while, Estela sat in her seat cracking up. “You know, he’s not really my type. But I do enjoy a good piece of meat once in a while.”

Michelle looked at the TV, down at her phone, then back to the TV. “Well, now I know who I’m rooting for!”

Cris tilted her head while looking at the phone, grinning. “Damn, if I didn’t have my roots, he’d almost make me switch loyalties. This, “ she pointed at the small screen, “This is very pleasant to look at. Let me just say. Wow!”

“You know, it’s not like I’m sitting right here or anything.” Jake pouted, crossing his arms.

She turned around and looked at her moping husband.

“Awww, baby, you know you’re the only one for me. Olivier Giroud can’t even hold a candle to you.” She walked over to the couch and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. One of Jake’s arms encircled her waist, holding her close to his body.

“Never mind the fact that he’s a rich soccer player, with brown hair and blue eyes, a.k.a. totally her type, and not to mention smoking hot!” Diego said loudly, chiding his best friend’s man while taking a seat on the couch.

“Diego, you’re not helping, you ass!” Jake retorted, flicking him off behind her back.

Cris cuddled up to Jake and hid her smile in the crook of his neck. She murmured, loud enough for only him to hear, “Don’t worry, Top Gun. You know you’ve got the only balls I’m interested in playing with.”

“OH GOD. I HEARD THAT. Why did I decide to sit here? I am scarred for life!” Diego shrieked while the room erupted into laughter.

The day continued full of merriment as the gang reveled in each other’s company. France went on to beat Argentina that day 4-3, but the memories made on that Saturday morning were once in a lifetime.

[vrenaewrites]

Songs of Accidental Evils: Fina.

Last year, I did a series on this blog where I talked about the playlist behind my first book, CIVIL BLOOD. I got a lot of good feedback from that and people overwhelmingly wanted me to do it again for the sequel, ACCIDENTAL EVILS. This book has a much darker tone, and its playlist was easily split into three parts: the general vibe of the book, songs related to River (the male MC), and songs related to Fina (the female MC).

no particular order, these are the songs related to Fina’s arc. If you don’t care for an explanation and just wanna hear the songs, here’s a link to the part 3 playlist!

1/23 blog: AE Playlist Part 3. Fina’s songs.

1. Never Again - Kelly Clarkson.

This is THE song to scream in your car after you have a breakup. “Give me that Sunday school answer, repent yourself away.”

2. Harder To Breathe – Maroon 5.

All about how you want to make someone pay for how they did you dirty. And boy does Fina make some people pay. “I have the tendency of getting very physical, so watch your step cause if I do you’ll need a miracle.”

3. Gasoline – Halsey.

A song about losing your shit. “Pointing fingers cause you’ll never take the blame like me?”

4. Roses – Meg and Dia.

I don’t know why this song makes me think of Fina or what it has to do with her story but it invoked some weird feelings in me which really influenced Fina’s actions in this book.

5. Ignorance - Paramore.

Fina’s middle finger to River and Papa both. “You treat me just like another stranger. Well it’s nice to meet you sir, I guess I’ll go. I best be on my way out. This is the best thing that could’ve happened, any longer and I wouldn’t have made it. It’s not a war no, it’s not a rapture. I’m just a person, but you can’t take it.”

6. Silver Springs - Fleetwood Mac.

An entire subplot about Fina learning dream magic was cut for time but this song’s influence is still seen throughout her story. “I’ll follow you down til the sound of my voice will haunt you. You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman who loves you.”

7. Stop Draggin My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty.

Now THIS is a duet. Full of little jabs and snark and ache. “It’s hard to think about what you wanted. It’s hard to think about what you lost. This doesn’t have to be the big get-even. This doesn’t have to be anything at all.”

8. Octahate - Ryn Weaver.

Underrated as hell. All about the aftermath of a doomed romance and how a person can wreck you. “From the day I saw my heart start breaking, no one saved me.”

9. DLZ - TV On the Radio.

This is Fina’s theme song. Coming completely off the rails, being full of retribution for one person or entity, and the way rage can sneak up on you and completely warp you fundamentally. “This is beginning to feel like the bolt busted loose from the lever.”

10. For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic – Paramore.

Fina is the queen of being let down by...well, by anyone and everyone, actually. “I put my faith in you, so much faith and then you just threw it away.”

11. Saint Cecelia – The Foo Fighters.

My saint Cecelia. Spoilers.

12. Maneater - Nelly Furtado.

The outside prom confrontation scene. Spoilers.

13. That’s What You Get - Paramore.

Wow Paramore also helped write this book. The lessons you learn from getting hurt. “Take a seat we’re settling the final score.”

14. Turn Off the Light (Acoustic) - Nelly Furtado.

Isolation central. “There’s an achin inside my head, it’s tellin me you’re better off alone.”

15. Who Did That To You - John Legend.

One word: Justice. “Call the police, call the coroner, call up your priest, have ‘em warn ya. Won’t be no peace when I find that fool.”

16. Let it Burn - ZZ Ward.

Ever wanted to burn that shit down? This is the song for that. Badass woman doing badass things. “Out of control see, I’m gonna blow up your spot. You lit the spark, now you ain’t stopping this flame. You rolled the dice, now I’m bout to murder this game.”

17. Seven Nation Army - Postmodern Jukebox.

This is what Fina thinks her MO is. Righteous vengeance. Spoiler alert: it sort of is? But mostly isn’t. And this cover is SUPERB.

18. I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift.

This IS Fina’s MO. Less righteous, more vengeful. “I can feel the flames on my skin, crimson red paint on my lips. If a man talks shit then I owe him nothin. I don’t regret it one bit cause he had it comin.”

19. Trouble - Taylor Swift.

“He was long gone when he met me and I realize the joke is on me. Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in, so shame on me.” Same vein as Octahate. Should have known better and now I’m the fool.

20. Pot Kettle Black - Tilly and the Wall.

Ivy and Autumn’s whole “garbage” exchange with Fina came right from this song. “The trash washes up to shore even in this landlocked place.”

21. Are You Bad? - Glitter Mini 9.

“I’ve got an ashtray for a heart, I’ve got a trash can for a mouth.” Act 3 Fina, all the way.

22. Favorite Transgressions - Sleigh Bells.

Also act 3 Fina in a BIG way. “My past is littered with the bones of men who were fools enough to sleep on me.” Do not fuck with Act 3 Fina y’all. Don’t fuck win Fina in general, actually. We know that by now, I think.

23. The Way I Do - Bishop Briggs.

Song full of longing and rejection. “You will never know my love. You will never feel the way I do.”

24. Favorite Color is Blue - Robert DeLong & K. Flay.

Man I love this song. A downward spiral into straight chaos. Feeling like a stranger in your own home. Living a lie. Being strung out and messed up.

25. Prayer in C - Lily Wood and The Prick.

Fina’s after song. “Don’t think I could forgive you.” Enough said.

26. Six Feet Under - Billie Eilish.

This is Fina’s after the after song. “If our grave was watered by the rain, would roses bloom?”

27. Seven Devils - Florence and the Machine.

This is Fina’s “Carrie” moment. Spoilers. “Holy water cannot help you now. See, I’ve come to burn your kingdom down. And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out. I’m gonna raise the stakes, I’m gonna smoke you out.”

28. Figures - Jessie Reyez.

Act I Fina. “I wish I could hurt you back. Love, what would you do if you couldn’t get me back?”

29. Pardon Me - Incubus.

A song about being sick of the world and the people in it, and wanting to just combust. That’s Fina all the time but especially in this book.

30. Blood in the Cut - K. Flay.

Badass song about being messed up and dangerous and unable to handle your own thoughts. “Take my head and kick it in, break some bread for all my sins. Say a word, do it soon. It’s too quiet in this room.”

31. Beautiful Disaster - 311.

“Today seems like a good day to burn a bridge or two” is basically Fina’s slogan.

[aion-rsa]

Best Movies Coming to Netflix in August 2021

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As quickly as the summer movie season of 2021 seemed to come upon us, it’s already about to begin its long, languid slide through the dog days of August into fall. That’s not to say that theaters won’t still have plenty of interesting fare to encounter, with films like The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, Candyman and The Night House all on deck. Hopefully the other hideous sequel happening at the moment — Pandemic 2: The Delta Variant — won’t set any of these potential hits back.

In the spirit of keeping August entertaining, Netflix is rolling out a slew of new streaming additions as well, including an underrated Spielberg gem, fantastic teen comedies both old and new, a couple of stoner classics and perhaps the finest film from the canon of one of the modern era’s most revered directors. We’ve rounded up our recommendations below, and hope you stay cool and healthy whatever you’re watching!

Universal

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Beethoven (1992)

August 1

Hollywood in the 1990s was a glorious and furry era when studio executives never met a family movie that couldn’t be improved with the addition of at least one animal character. Beethoven is one of the most successful examples of this winning formula. Directed by Brian Levant from a script co-written by John Hughes himself (alongside Mystic Pizza co-writer Amy Holden Jones), Beethoven is basically the story of how a husband and father, Charles Grodin’s George Newton, feels threatened by the attention his family gives their new dog, a St. Bernard named Beethoven.

George eventually works through some of his issues and accepts the charming Beethoven into the family, a process that comes to a head when Beethoven is dog-napped into an animal experiment scheme run by evil veterinarian Dr. Herman Varnick. (Honestly, the plot isn’t dissimilar to the story in cinematic masterpiece Paddington.) The deep supporting cast includes Bonnie Hunt, David Duchovny, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, and Everybody Loves Raymond‘s Patricia Heaton. The film’s sequel, Beethoven Second, will also be available on Netflix starting on August 1st.

Dreamworks

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

August 1

As one of Steven Spielberg’s most charming and laid-back efforts, Catch Me If You Can is a breezy and star-studded entertainment. The story is loosely based on the real grifts of conman Frank Abagnale Jr., who beginning as a teenager was able to pass himself off as a pilot, lawyer, doctor, and many other things. But really, this is a cat-and-mouse chase movie between a still baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale and Tom Hanks as the FBI stiff who hunted him down. It’s all good stuff, with the movie enjoying a light touch and fresh take on Spielberg’s favorite subject matter: fathers and sons.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

August 1

A shockingly entertaining B-movie about a bunch of genetically engineered super-sharks which break out and take over a testing facility, this is horror silliness at its best with great turns from Samuel L Jackson, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows and LL Cool J. Partially shot on sets built around the same water tanks used for Titanic, with animatronic and CGI sharks, Deep Blue Sea is action-packed, schlocky fun from director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger).  

STX Entertainment

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

August 1

A bit like Lady Bird before there was a Lady Bird, Kelly Fremon Craig’s Edge of Seventeen is an underrated gem that stars a teenage Hailee Steinfeld as a young woman stumbling through an especially awkward time in her life. Steinfeld is terrific in her best performance since True Grit, playing Nadine as a bundle of insecurities, yet still nobody’s victim. Also of special value is Craig’s hilarious and authentic script, which captures the specificity of growing up in the social media age while being near-universal in its accessibility and empathy for a wide ensemble which also includes Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, and Woody Harrelson.

Paramount

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

August 1

Just in time for the dog days of summer comes one of the best summer movies ever. Relying on charm and sharp characterization instead of special effects for its spectacle, John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a truly great teen comedy that follows the easygoing bon vivant (or secret sociopath?) of a high school’s senior class when he decides to take the day off in the best fashion: by faking he’s sick and then guilting his BFF into giving him the keys to his dad’s Ferrari.

Read more

TV

Should Netflix’s Pokémon Live-Action Series Explore the Franchise’s Dark Side?

By Matthew Byrd

TV

Never Have I Ever Season 2 Review: This Netflix Teen Comedy Deserves to Run and Run

By Louisa Mellor

It’s silly yet curiously honest stuff about the pressures of young adult life, at least in 1980s suburban America, and a beguiling showcase for an ensemble that includes Matthew Broderick in his coolest role, as well as Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, and a seriously stoned Charlie Sheen. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re due.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Inception (2010)

August 1 Still Christopher Nolan’s most complete and satisfying film to date (yes, even more so than The Dark Knight), Inception is a cerebral sci-fi set of stacking dolls combined with a rollicking James Bond adventure that all happens to be mostly situated inside one guy’s head. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of professional thieves who steal things from people’s minds — only this time they’re hired to implant an idea, even if they have to dive deep into the mark’s subconscious to do it.

Mind-bending imagery and several jaw-dropping action sequences are wrapped around a surprisingly emotional core, with only the usual unwieldy exposition there to remind you that there are some things Nolan may never get right.

Lionsgate

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

August 1 Based on a novel by crime writer Michael Connelly, this gripping, suspenseful 2011 drama arguably kicked off “the McConaissance,” a shift from rom-coms to more serious roles by Matthew McConaughey that launched a new, largely acclaimed phase of his career.

McConaughey is formidable as attorney Mickey Haller, a slick lawyer who works out of his Lincoln Town Car and undergoes a crisis of conscience as his new case starts to feel disturbingly like an old one. In addition to McConaughey stepping up his game, this Brad Furman-directed thriller is the kind of character-driven, literate melodrama we don’t see much on the big screen anymore — although we see plenty of them these days on, of course, Netflix.

Paramount Classics

The Machinist (2004)

August 1 Director Brad Anderson followed up his cult classic 2001 horror effort Session 9 with this surreal, Kafka-esque psychological thriller. Christian Bale plays Trevor Reznik, whose inability to sleep leads him to cause an accident at his industrial job that costs a co-worker (Michael Ironside) his arm. Already physically and mentally deteriorating, Reznik begins an even deeper descent as he tries to unravel what’s happening to him and why. Bale is intense and viscerally shocking as the emaciated Reznik, with his riveting performance anchoring an atmospheric, visually striking film that is sometimes an exercise in style over substance.

New Line Cinema

Magnolia (1999)

August 1

Boogie Nights pushed director Paul Thomas Anderson into the spotlight, but it was his massive, sprawling jigsaw puzzle Magnolia that made him into a superstar filmmaker. Following multiple narratives and numerous characters all finally brought together by a climactic storm of frogs, this is high art packed with standout moments.

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Tom Cruise is electric as a toxic motivation speaker, Julianne Moore is brittle and tragic as a trophy wife who has grown to love her dying husband, while the burgeoning relationship between Melora Walters’ addict and John C. Reilly’s cop added sweetness and hope to a tale of messed up people and damaged families. Epic.

Sony PIctures

Pineapple Express (2008)

August 1 After its trailer introduced everyone to M.I.A.’s amazing “Paper Planes,” Pineapple Express’s work was already done. It didn’t even have to produce a satisfyingly funny movie on top of that. Thankfully the filmmaking team of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and David Gordon Green decided to give us one anyway, because Pineapple Express is the ideal of the little-seen-or-attempted stoner action comedy.

Rogen stars as process server and marijuana enthusiast Dale Denton, while James Franco portrays his annoying drug dealer Saul Silver. When the pair witness a murder, they are forced to flee hitmen, a pair of corrupt cops, and worst of all, Danny McBride. The Rogen/Goldberg comedy catalog has very few misses and this one is particularly excellent.

Universal Pictures

Seabiscuit (2003)

August 1

No one would ever accuse Gary Ross’ Seabiscuit of being subtle. With its voice-of-god narration by Ken Burns fave David McCoullough, which helpfully spells out the themes of the movie every few scenes, and its achingly sentimental score and dialogue, Seabiscuit is a Cinderella story which all but asserts its titular race horse ended the Great Depression. Yet Ross captures some of the simple American grandeur of Laura Hillenbrand’s non-fiction source material book, as well as the beauty of this true story where a horse that everyone counted out as worthless was nursed by three men into becoming one of the greatest racing animals of all-time.

It’s the type of feel-good yarn that won people over in the 1930s and which is still winning now. When coupled with a handful of strong performances, including from Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Tobey Maguire, and a seriously underrated Elizabeth Banks, you have a crowd-pleaser that actually pleases.

Paramount Pictures

Team America: World Police (2004)

August 1 Roger Ebert’s one-star review of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Team America: World Police sums up the film’s nonsensical political stance nicely. “I wasn’t offended by the movie’s content so much as by its nihilism,” the great film critic wrote.

Rog was right to criticize Team America’s incomprehensible worldview. Nearly 20 years later, its seeming position that Alec Baldwin and Kim Jong-Il are equally bad hasn’t aged that well (despite Mr. Baldwin’s best efforts). But it’s hard to argue that the South Park creators’ nihilism doesn’t lead to some great comedy. The novelty of Thunderbirds-style puppets saving the world amid graphic sex acts and voluminous barfing never quite wears off.

The post Best Movies Coming to Netflix in August 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[wazafam]

After her polarizing role in The Godfather Part III when she was a child, Sofia Coppola has made a name for herself as a director, just like her father. Though Francis Ford Coppola’s movies are three-hour-long crime epics, Sofia Coppola’s movies are more meditative and soaked in romance and existential dread.

RELATED: 5 Movies That Launched Scarlett Johansson's Career (& 5 That Missed The Mark)

She’s also one of the most stylish filmmakers of the 2000s too, and her films are so visually stunning with most of them taking place in sun-drenched and metropolitan cities. Some of her films are polarizing, but her entire filmography is glistening with style and full of career best performances from incredible actors.

8 A Very Murray Christmas (2015) - 5.5

A Very Murray Christmas is a strange entity, as it’s labeled as a movie, but it’s 56 short minutes and features famous actors portraying themselves, but other just as famous actors playing characters. It’s very much a variety show of a movie, whether it’s Miley Cyrus performing duets with Murray or cameos that come out of nowhere.

But it’s something entertaining enough to just have on over the holiday season thanks to its vast amount of special guests and songs that are good enough to hum along to. And despite not being plot-driven, out of all the great characters Bill Murray has played over the past 40 years, even when playing himself he’s a joy to watch.

7 The Bling Ring (2013) - 5.6

About a real-life teenage gang who stole from a-list actors and supermodels, The Bling Ring was criticized for being morally ambiguous and approaching the source material in a shallow way.

RELATED: Every Movie Emma Watson Has Done Since Harry Potter (And Their Rotten Tomatoes Score)

However, the movie is considered to be underrated by some, with fans calling it a sharp comedy that comments on society’s current obsession of famous people. And on top of that, it’s one of the most beautiful looking movies of the past ten years, as The Bling Ring is padded out with cool, sun-drenched shots of Los Angeles.

6 Somewhere (2010) - 6.3

In what has seemingly become Sofia Coppola’s MO, Somewhere is another movie that follows the life of a bored but wealthy middle-aged man. Though the movie seems like it’s complaining about privilege to some viewers, as Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) lives inside the Chateau Mormont, it feels like something of a companion piece to Coppola’s other movie, Lost in Translation. Both movies tackle existential dread, but as Somewhere focuses more on Johnny’s relationship with his daughter than his romantic relationships, it puts an interesting spin on the formula. And it features an incredible performance from Dorff.

5 The Beguiled (2017) - 6.3

Reuniting with her Marie Antoinette star, Kirsten Dunst, The Beguiled is an adaption of the novel of the same name. The movie is about a wounded Union army deserter that finds refuge at an all-girls school, and it was praised for updating the material for a modern audience.

But it was also the subject of criticism from audiences for whitewashing, as an important Black character was removed from the adaption, and the main character, who is biracial in the novel, was portrayed by a white woman. However, though it isn’t rated high amongst IMDb users and even fans of the director probably haven’t seen it, Coppola won Best Director at Cannes Film Festival for the movie.

4 On The Rocks (2020) - 6.5

On The Rocks was set to be the big reunion, as it properly reunited Bill Murray with his Lost In Translation director, excluding Netflix Christmas specials, that is. And the result was fairly surprising to fans of the director, as her trademark meditative style was sidelined for a more laugh-out-loud romcom-like affair.

RELATED: 9 Funniest Bill Murray Movie Moments

Ironically, the new approach helped it become one of her most well reviewed movies in her career. And being more of a popcorn flick and way more digestible than some of her other movies, it’s one of her most well-liked films amongst general audiences too.

3 Marie Antoinette (2006) - 6.5

Marie Antoinette is a hyper-stylized historical movie and it portrays historical events in an almost pop video-like style. It’s Coppola’s most post-modern movie too, as it features a contemporary soundtrack and Converse trainers can even be found in Marie Antoinette’s wardrobe, despite being set just before the French Revolution. The movie takes some major liberties and it might not be the most historically accurate period drama ever made, but it’s impossible not to be swept up in the film’s lavish visuals.

2 The Virgin Suicides (1999) - 7.2

As Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides established the director’s style in many different ways. From using contemporary electronic music, to the visual style, to even the beginning of the director and Kirsten Dunst’s working relationship, the movie is the most vivid brush stroke in Coppola’s filmography and many think it’s her best movie. And as the movie is about a group of adolescent sisters, it started the trend of Coppola detailing teenage emotions, loneliness, and generally being undervalued as a female.

1 Lost In Translation (2003) - 7.7

Lost In Translation is the crown jewel in Coppola’s filmography and many will argue that its score is still criminally low. With the movie, Coppola perfected her unique and unusual way of portraying romance, along with the way she depicts alienation. And above all else, the ambiguity of the ending has had fans arguing since its release, as what Bob whispered in Charlotte’s ear in the final scene has been up for debate for years.

NEXT: 10 Movies To Watch If You Like Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation

Every Sofia Coppola Movie, Ranked According To IMDb | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/32ahFM7

[moiraineswife]

What is black sails?

OH FRIEND :D I AM SO PLEASED YOU ASKED. 

The Serious Answer to this question is: Black Sails is a Starz show which ended earlier this year. There are four seasons out, all of which are available on Amazon Prime I believe. 

The premise outlined Black Sails as a prequel to Treasure Island, with a blend of historical pirates thrown in for good measure (eg Anne Bonny, Charles Vane, Jack Rackham etc, etc, etc) it’s about pirates, okay, you can’t go wrong with pirates. 

But it’s a more serious/historically accurate take on the golden age of piracy than the various other things that have been released over the years. And it is CRIMINALLY underrated (genuinely). 

The acting is SUPERB (why doesn’t Toby Stephens have 19 awards rn!? Why don’t they all).

 The writing and storytelling are nuanced, intelligent, exciting, and compelling. All of the characters have incredible arcs over the four seasons. From the pilot to the finale, they’re all pretty unrecognisable, but you can track their growth throughout the seasons so easily. It feels natural, and it’s incredibly well-done as a result of the writing/actor involvement in their characters. 

The cinematography/scenery is utterly GORGEOUS (and this is coming from someone who knows....absolutely NOTHING about this world, but knows enough to appreciate a masterpiece when they see one). 

You’re literally tripping over representation in every episode. There are ladies in positions of power. Queer ladies in positions of power. WOC in positions of power. Queer WOC in positions of power. Gay characters, bi characters, whose relationships are, legitimately, the focus and driving force of the entire narrative. Healthy, nuanced, complex and canon poly relationships. A complex, empathetic story that deals with homophobia in the period in a poignant, respectful, meaningful way. A plotline that deals with slavery in the period with, again, empathy and respect (I’m white, so someone please correct me if I’m wrong here, but I haven’t seen any criticism of the representation of poc characters in the show to my knowledge). Representation for disabled characters, including physical disabilities, as well as exploring depression, anxiety, ptsd, and grief in a raw, realistic way, that doesn’t gloss over the difficult aspects of each of these things. 

THE MUSIC. Must give mention to the music, must mention Bear McCreary, and his goddamn fucking beautiful score that tips already emotionally charged, compellingly written, wonderfully acted scenes over the edge of reason and leaves all viewers sobbing heaps on the ground (in a good way, promise, totally good way) 

This show genuinely gets better and better and better and better with every single episode. The first season is NOT the best piece of television in history, but it does kind of what it needs to establish itself. It’s got some sticky moments that I wish weren’t there, though it just about gets away with most of them, and it’s BEYOND worth it for the following three seasons, because I think it’s possible to see the potential in that scene.  

And it doesn’t escalate the same way Game of Thrones does (the fact that this show isn’t as popular/more so than the travesty that GoT has become is honestly....There is no justice in this world. None.) It doesn’t just, welp, let’s throw in some more explosions and cheap shock value shots! It gets deeper. It gets richer. The world is expanded, the characters are fleshed out. It actually relies LESS on the showy violence and digs more deeply into the characters, their relationships, the politics and morality and of this world and these situations. 

Speaking of morality, all of the characters are deeply complex, and genuinely grey characters. (I feel like this is something that gets thrown around a lot, but often doesn’t have the proper substance or emotional weight required to make it work. It works on this show. It works incredibly well.) Because grey characters means that they’ve all done bad shit, they’ve all done good shit, they’ve all pushed themselves to the limits, and beyond, of what they’re capable of for the things that they believe are right. It’s possible for all of the characters to see themselves as heroes, while being seen by others as villains. But the truly remarkable thing, I think, is that it’s possible for an AUDIENCE to see this too. Both sides of each of these characters is explored, and the nuance, and the complexity, and the balance that’s struck between that thin line of hero and villain, and good and evil, and how it has you walk along it the entire season, condemning a characters’ actions, but empathising far too strongly with their ideals, and with them for you to ever hate them or simply paint them as a monster (the nuanced discussion of this in-world is fascinating, and could legitimately be the subject for dissertations tbh) 

The cast are all....Genuinely wonderful human beings tbh. And however much u love this show...u will never love it as much as they do. Never. It’s beautiful.  

Thomas Hamilton requires a bullet point all of his own as a Reason To Watch This Show. 

So does Max. 

So does Anne. 

So does Eleanor. 

So does Miranda. 

So does Madi. 

:) PLS WATCH THIS SHOW THE LADIES. P L E A S E.  

Funnily enough, the Lauren Answer to this question is exactly the same as the TL;DR: 

PLEASE FUCKING WATCH THIS SHOW. 

THERE ARE ONLY FOUR SEASONS. EACH SEASON HAS, AT MOST, 10 EPISODES IN IT. IT IS COMPLETE. IT HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ENDING IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE THAT MADE ME CRY LEGITIMATE, FULL-FLOWING HAPPY TEARS BECAUSE OF ITS PERFECTION. THE ENDING WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU, OKAY. NONE OF IT WILL DISAPPOINT YOU. THERE IS REP. THERE IS ALL THE REP, OKAY. THERE IS GOOD WRITING. THERE IS GOOD STORYTELLING. THERE IS GOOD CINEMATOGRAPHY. THERE IS GOOD MUSIC. THERE IS GOOD CHARACTERS. THERE IS GOOD CHARACTER ARCS. THERE IS ALL THE COMPLEX, NUANCED EXPLORATION OF MORALITY THIS SITE IS ALWAYS BEGGING FOR. THERE IS GOOD EVERYTHING OKAY JUST FUCKING WATCH IT. I AM A STEP AWAY FROM CRAWLING TO YOUR HOUSES ON MY KNEES AND BANGING ON THE DOOR AND BEGGING YOU. WATCH. THE. THING. and then come thank me for introducing it to you :) 

Content/Trigger warnings: This show IS good, but I’m also aware it’s pretty visceral in some places, so know your triggers: heavy/graphic rape trigger warning for several episodes of the first season. There’s graphic violence/blood/gore trigger warnings for every season. Sex and nudity is fairly prevalent in all four seasons, too, most heavily in the first, but it gets less and less as the seasons go on, though it never fully disappears. So please be aware of those things before you give it a try. And do try and persevere if you get a little stuck with the first season/if you’re on the fence at all KEEP GOING. I PROMISE IT’S WORTH IT. 

Also if other folk have reasons for watching this show/can explain more eloquently than my incoherent yelling: pls feel free to add on to this.